A historical review of security threats in post-colonial Nigeria: focus on issues associated to border porosity in some parts of northern Nigeria since 2007

Abstract

Insecurity has overshadowed events in the country such that it occurs in several dimensions; border related attacks seem to raise the challenges beyond the intra to international levels. This paper discusses border related issues which emanated from the geographical boundaries in some parts of Nigeria. Thus, a border in this paper tends not to be narrowed down to just geographical demarcation but extended to citizen’s attitudes toward the nationality and marginalization feeling among some Nigerians. Nigeria is a sovereign nation that has similar boarders outlining the areas
of control. The north-eastern region which has intensified cases of insecurity, shares international water (Lake Chad) and land borders with the republics of Chad, Cameroun and Niger. The North Central on the other hand shared border with Benin Republic and Niger Republic in some parts and north – western bordering with Niger these borders which are to be the first line of defence and last line of nation’s territorial protection are so porous that the defence is deterred. The porosity of border and security agencies in Nigeria argued in this paper focused on how these problems got incubated to when it hatched in folds of terrorism, its glaring to say that minority compromise security of others (Majority), The paper use historical approach and concludes that, unless the government and Nigerians make concerted efforts and energy into manning and policing the borders particularly in these regions, if not, her desire to address the insecurity problem in the country will remain elusive.