INSURGENCY AND CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA: A BANE OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC UNDERDEVELOPMENT

This study examines the socio-economic effects of insurgency, armed banditry and corruption in Nigeria. Historical method of research and analysis was employed in the study. The study data were collected through documentation of secondary sources including review of related literature journals and write ups. The study is also descriptive in style as it built on the findings of already existing works, about emerging security threats in Nigeria. Findings from the study revealed that, the country as a nation state is under a severe internal socio economic and security threat. As a more general level, the threat has social, economic, political and environmental dimensions. Each of these dimensions has greatly affected the nation’s stability, and can be traced to the ethnic militia armies, ethnic and religious conflicts, poverty, terrorism, armed robbery, corruption, economic sabotage and environmental degradation. The efforts of the government to eradicate insurgency, banditry and corruption have been slow and costly in terms of public funds spent, lives and properties lost. This has made the citizenry to question, the efficiency of the menace. The study recommend among others that the country should evolve a sustainable social security system which will discourage public office holders from engaging in corruption, good information sharing techniques providing gainful employment opportunities for the citizenry and so on.