The recent development in Kogi State that motivated the closure of all Primary and Secondaries Schools temporarily and the close of some markets and motor packs across the local governments in the western district, a proactive measure due to security challenges according to the government statements through the Commissioner for Information, is a welcome development and commendable.
However, the security personnel and their agencies, which includes the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Military and all the paramilitary are federal staff that are currently involved in the onslaught against bandits in the security effort across the state. They are not permanent residents in a particular location for a long time and can be redeployed any time for special duties or otherwise. And many of them does not speak the local languages. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the state government to employ at least twenty (20) Vigilantes in each ward of Kogi State, to complement the work of these conventional security personnel and their agencies, that will be trained and equipped to stay in their various ward or locality.
Community Resilience, engagement and support can do a lot the current violence extremism that is currently being experienced in our environment.
Violent Extremism in Nigeria is often fueled by political and economic factors such as governance failure, corruption, inequality, and lack of opportunities, all of which create conditions conducive to radicalization. Perceived political exclusion, unemployment, and poverty make individuals vulnerable to extremist narratives that exploit social and economic grievance. Additionally, weak institution and poor service delivery enable extremism to thrive.
Nigeria’s response to violent extremism remains fragmented and uneven. These interventions, while valuable in their own right, often operate in silos, lacking the strategic coordination, shared data system and unified policy directions necessary for sustained impact.
One of the most persistent challenges undermining the effectiveness of Nigeria response to Violent Extremism is the lack of strategic coordination among Federal, State, and local actors. While each level of government plays a critical role in security and peacebuilding, there are often disconnected, duplicative, or misaligned, resulting in fragmented intervention and missed opportunities for synergy. Nigeria has witness a growth in number of both statutory and non –statutory security agencies across all level of government.
National integration of PCVE Strategies: To effectively counter the evolving threat of violent extremism across Nigeria, it is imperative to align the efforts of the federal, state and local governments under a unified, coherent framework that promotes consistency, accountability, and shared objectives. Fragmented interventions where each tier of government operates in isolation have led to duplication of effort, policy contradictions, and inefficient resources utilization. A harmonized approach ensure that all actors are working toward a common vision, with clearly defined roles and measurable outcomes.
– Idris Miliki Abdul
Executive Director,
Conscience for Human Rights and Conflicts Resolution (CHRCR),
Lokoja, Kogi State.
