Nigeria’s Security Governance Dilemmas During the Covid-19 Crisis

Abstract

The advent of the coronavirus pandemic marked a watershed in Nigeria's socio-economic and political milieu, as it created panic in states. Security governance is one of the ingredients of peace and stability in society, but problems sometimes emanate from law enforcement lapses. This paper examined Nigeria's security governance dilemmas during the lockdown enforcement aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 and highlighted the key lessons from the government's approach to security governance during the period. Data are gathered through in-depth interviews, media reports and secondary sources. The qualitative paper combined non-killing theory and social contract theory. There were looting of shops, robbery, and killing by security forces, in Lagos, Warri, Aba, Umuahia and other cities during the lockdown owing to the problem of footprint/ access. The findings revealed that, despite surveillance efforts, security governance was undermined by the activities of idle youths, non-state armed groups, and unprofessionalism of security forces. While there was a remarkable decrease in crimes compared with the pre-COVID-19 period, the lockdown did not deter troublemakers from engaging in violent acts, such as armed robbery, police violence, and kidnapping. Adequate palliatives should be provided first at high-risk areas during future lockdowns to prevent security threats.

Adherence to and enforcement of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) for COVID-19 prevention in Nigeria, Rwanda, and Zambia: A mixed-methods analysis

“…Additionally, despite a robust public information campaign to dispel misinformation, many residents in Nigeria did not initially adhere to the recommendations aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19. This caused high tension between the civilians and armed forces who became violent when trying to enforce certain protocols [48,49]. To enforce lockdown and curfew measures, policy, paramilitary, and military personnel were deployed to various areas in the country.…”

“…To enforce lockdown and curfew measures, policy, paramilitary, and military personnel were deployed to various areas in the country. Among the challenges in this implementation were persistent corruption and political distrust [48,49]. There were also multiple reports of unlawful use of force and misconduct of the Nigerian police while enforcing COVID-19 measures [50,51].…”

Containing COVID-19 and the social costs on human rights in African countries

“…In enforcing lockdowns, governments limited human rights and failed to guarantee them. Freedom of opinion and expression was constrained as political opponents and protesters in some instances were detained and prosecuted (Iversen et al, 2020 ; Okolie-Osemene, 2021 ; Olufadewa et al, 2021 ). The right to education was limited when schools were closed for an undetermined period and school systems were unable to support learners with disabilities or, as was common, with poor access to internet (Dube, 2020 ; Kamga, 2020 ; Beckmann and Reyneke, 2021 ).…”

From scenario to mounting risks: COVID-19’s perils for development and supply security in the Sahel

“…The health systems in the Sahel region, similar to all African countries, are very fragile with challenges of poor workforce, financial problems and poor management practices (Oleribe et al, 2019 ). In Africa, the average density of healthcare workers per 10,000 people is 57 compared to 583 for higher income countries (WHO, 2018 ).…”