Non-state actors and insecurity: The role of community policing in national development and security

Abstract

The level of insecurity in Nigeria has been on a steady upward swing since the turn of the new millennium. This paper focused on the pragmatic analysis of waning capacity of the police and Armed Forces in curtailing the bludgeoning activities of armed non-state actors. Data were largely drawn for secondary sources of security reports. The paper affirmed that the violent activities of armed non-state actors accounts mostly for the deaths of Nigerians who died through killings. The paper also affirmed that the centralized architecture and organization of the Nigerian security system has made the police and the armed forces less effective. The paper concluded that national security will not thrive as long as violent non-state actors have free reign. The paper suggested the adoption and integration of community policing as part of the country’s security architecture through constitutional provisions.