APPLICATION OF STATE-CENTRIC SECURITY APPROACH TO THE SECURITY CHALLENGES IN THE SOUTHEAST

Abstract

Politically, Nigeria is divided into six geopolitical zones: Southeast, South-South, Southwest, North Central, Northwest and Northeast. Of these six geopolitical zones, the Southeast had been consistently rated the most peaceful part of the country. However, in the recent past, these ratings have changed as the zone has become a theater of different type of security challenges perpetuated by different actors including: unknown gunmen, kidnappers, killers' herdsmen and Nigerian security agents themselves. This sudden turnaround in the security situation of the Southeast has generated a lot of scholarly and institutional debates bothering on establishing the causes and evolving possible solutions to these myriad security challenges in the Zone. So far, none of the proffered solutions have succeeded as the insecurity in the Zone has continued to escalate. This study applies the documentary method of data collection, content analysis for data interpretation and state-centric security theory to investigate the causes and possible solutions to the problem of insecurity in the Southeast. The research discovered that the root of insecurity in the Zone is the feeling of marginalization, especially by the youths of the Zone. Based on this, the study argued that the current approach of using security agents to kill, maim and harass the youth of the Zone will end up alienating the people and worsening the security situation. To avoid this scenario, the study proffered massive infrastructural development, youth empowerments and political inclusiveness as the elixir to current Southeast's security challenges.