Review of Public Administration and Management

Abstract

Security and the Rule of Law in Nigeria

Fidelis O Okpata and Tiben Benz Nwali

This study has espoused security and rule of law in Nigeria as matters of national discourse. Nigeria in recent times has been trailing through periods of insecurity of lives and property as well as none respect for the rule of law, natural justice and human dignity. To this end, the effort to build a formidable federalism in a heterogeneous society like ours is still a subject of serious debate. However, the study is objectively undertaken to evaluate the level of security and application of rule of law in Nigeria. Survey Design is the adopted methodology in which available literature were corroborated with empirical data as instruments for the analysis of issues relating to security and rule of law in Nigeria. Also, the study hinged on the Circular Causation Theory which posits that economic developments result in a circular causation process whereby the riches are awarded more favour in terms of security and respect for their civil rights while the poor are insecured and always disrespected. However, the major findings of this study are that Nigeria from the period of colonialism has been passing through turbulence years of crisis and insecurity arising from the colonial transgression that forced different ethnic groups into one nation without their consents. As a result of this, politics of bitterness and acrimony, leadership vacuum and disrespect to human dignity were the major manifestations of such activities of the Niger Delta restiveness and the Boko Haram insurgence. It was therefore recommended among other things that the leadership and political class should not politicize issues pertaining to security and that security issues should be seen by all Nigerians as collective war that should be fought and won collectively.