Nigeria has confronted several security conundrums in recent years, including armed banditry, whi... more Nigeria has confronted several security conundrums in recent years, including armed banditry, which poses a severe threat to the northwest and the entire nation. Northwest Nigeria has been hit by an unprecedented wave of kidnappings, maiming, killings, population displacements, cattle rustling, and disruption of socioeconomic activities due to the rise of armed bandits in the region. These events have created a climate of uncertainty that has become a cause for concern for the government and the citizenry. Relying on secondary sources of data, this article examines the causes, manifestations, and dimensions of armed banditry in northwest Nigeria, and its security implications. It provides a survey of both the visible and less-visible actors in the conflict. The article argues that armed banditry in the northwest and other parts of Nigeria transcends pastoralist insurgency, as evident in the dominant narratives, considering the multiplicity of complexly connected causal factors, actors, manifestations, and dimensions that are present in the threats posed by this development. The article also shows the negative impacts of armed banditry on human and national security in the region.
The deployments and campaigns of the Nigerian Air Force in North-West Nigeria have contributed to... more The deployments and campaigns of the Nigerian Air Force in North-West Nigeria have contributed to the military and strategic measures to neutralise or minimise the threats of armed banditry in the troubled region. While aerial operations have had some success, there have been notable downsides. Samuel Oyewole, Folahanmi Aina and John Sunday Ojo examine the mobilisation of air capabilities and associated campaigns against armed banditry in North-West Nigeria, the record of achievements and challenges, and the possible ways forward. Data for this study was gathered from both primary and secondary sources and analysed through a mixed method approach.
Jurnal Pertahanan: Media Informasi ttg Kajian & Strategi Pertahanan yang Mengedepankan Identity, Nasionalism & Integrity
Liberal political economists typically ascribe the reasons, natures, and dynamics of development ... more Liberal political economists typically ascribe the reasons, natures, and dynamics of development and security in the global South, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America, to internal deficiencies. As a result, among other things, weak institutions, policy deficits, ethnicity, corruption, bad leadership, and all other signs of an entity in desperate need of salvation have been recognized as dangers to the corporate existence and survival of African and other developing countries. While the decolonization of African and other developing countries has provided impacted peoples a sense of political belonging, the historical processes required to promote these nations' economic potential have been weakened. As a result, the capacity of postcolonial states to chart their development paths and reinvent themselves has been malignly berated, denied, and frustrated by neo-colonialist aspirations, strategies, and actions, those who had grudgingly and dishonestly foisted cancerous indepe...
This article assesses the manifestations of violence in Nigeria’s 2019 general elections, focusin... more This article assesses the manifestations of violence in Nigeria’s 2019 general elections, focusing on trend and spatial dimensions. The article also engages three methodological concerns against most academic studies on electoral violence in Nigeria and beyond. First, research in this area are dominated by extensive narrative, which often reduces quantity of electoral violence in Nigeria to politicised (conflicting, speculative and unverifiable) aggregate data on fatalities. Second, the rising quantification of electoral violence in Nigeria are dominated by perception surveys with little efforts to reconcile them with actual records. Third, large-n studies on violence recorded around elections in Africa are proliferating with sophisticated quantification techniques, which hardly accommodate country-specific details. In contrast, this study observed 2177 incidents of conflict recorded in Nigeria during the period of the elections, and extracted 275 cases of electoral violence for analysis. These data allow us to re-examine the prevailing periodisation of electoral violence in the literature, which ignored violence during inter-election periods. This study also identifies the national distribution and subnational concentration of the violence. These are relevant to guide policy research, advocacies, decisions and security preparedness for peaceful election in Nigeria.
The contradictions inherent in interests of stakeholders in oil politics have escalated to armed ... more The contradictions inherent in interests of stakeholders in oil politics have escalated to armed confrontations in the oil-producing Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Years of unrealised development aspirations of the Niger Delta people and environmental crisis in relation to oil spillage and gas flaring have encouraged resistance against the oil industries and the state in the region. The manner of this resistance and state responses have undergone the process of militarisation in the last decades. The paper, which is qualitative in nature and thus drawing much from secondary data establishes that a series of political solutions, including support for zoning of Nigerian Presidency to the Niger Delta, and policy initiatives such as the amnesty programme for militants have helped to subdue the crisis. However, oil and environmental politics remains militarised for the state and resistant groups in the Niger Delta. Consequently, this article seeks to examine the nature and context of the...
Democracy is a system of government greatly supported by the vast majority of Nigerians and they ... more Democracy is a system of government greatly supported by the vast majority of Nigerians and they are willing to sustain it. It is believed that the system guarantees security and promotes prosperity. It is considered a solution to most problems faced by the country. However, recent security challenges are reflections and continuation of political trends and the prospects of Democracy thriving in Nigeria. The focus of this article is to understand why democratic governments in Nigeria have failed in their effort to contain terrorism in the country as manifested by Boko Haram and other Islamist movements. Some elements of democracy as practised in Nigeria are observed in relations to the emergence of Boko Haram terrorism. It is submitted that, even when it does not equate to a counter-terrorism strategy, democracy still has some mechanisms that could be used to contain some factors that trigger or manifest terrorism.
The problems of African development and integration with the world of globalisation have continue... more The problems of African development and integration with the world of globalisation have continued to attract concern in the policymaking cycle and the academic world, within and beyond the shores of the continent. Ever since the issues of economic development became the continent’s priority, a series of propositions have been advanced and considered. Against a background of post-colonial nationalism, most African leaders have preferred African solutions to African (development and security) problems, despite the region’s continuous reliance on external investment and markets. At the moment, however, this strategy is low priority. In consideration of this, a revival and new dimension of the African Solution (AS) Strategy is observed in this paper. In this regard, global, regional and sub-regional struggles for competitiveness and the resultant hegemonic traits are seen to dominate the unveiling of AS Strategy.
AUSTRAL: Brazilian Journal of Strategy & International Relations, 2021
The sea/maritime domain is a critical frontier of human exploration and exploitation for food pro... more The sea/maritime domain is a critical frontier of human exploration and exploitation for food production, transportation, commerce, research, communication, mining, defence, security, power projection and prestige in international system. These made it a frontier of strategic cooperation, competition and conflict. Consequently, the sea has been militarised by littoral states, which have led to the rise of naval powers, across time and space. Naval power is strategically relevant in defence, security and power projection, as evident in its roles in warfare, deterrence, policing, and diplomacy across history. This is even more pronounced during the golden age of naval power, when the roles of the navy were decisive in outcomes of war, territorial defence and conquest, empire building and maintenance, bargaining, industrialisation, commerce and global policing. However, the strategic relevance of naval power has undergone notable changes with the rise of air, nuclear and space powers. ...
The complexity of democratisation has mystified the reality of the Third World States (TWS) democ... more The complexity of democratisation has mystified the reality of the Third World States (TWS) democracy. Accounta�ility inherent in market democracy is dual and the compliance of go�ernment in this spectrum is important on ideological and political grounds. This work intends to contri�ute to the argument around glo�alisation as related to state functions and the positions of democracies. The paper wishes to address ideological connotation of minimum state as forwarded �y neo-li�eralists and maximum quest as reflected by aspirations, needs and wants of people across the world. We therefore draw conclusion that state minimisation in the era of maximum quest is less fit in this complex interdependent epoch.
The involvement of the air force in a series of Joint Task Force (JTF) arrangements, which were i... more The involvement of the air force in a series of Joint Task Force (JTF) arrangements, which were initiated to neutralise various security threats, accounted for a growing record of air campaigns in Nigeria. Although there is growing public attention for airpower in Nigeria, its operational relevance and associated concerns have received inadequate academic attention. Accordingly, the understanding of recent developments in Nigeria’s air campaigns to neutralise targeted threats against security across the country remains largely limited and incoherent. This study, therefore, seeks to examine trends in air campaigns, with emphasis on cases, locations, targets and impacts of airstrike, in Nigeria. For this purpose, 241 cases of airstrike with 3,210 fatalities and 273 cases of air/land operations with 2,186 fatalities that were recorded across Nigeria in the last two decades were assessed. This is expected to contribute to a growing body of knowledge on air campaigns of the Nigerian Air ...
Introduction Nigerians are highly religious people. The Gallup International (2012) ranked Nigeri... more Introduction Nigerians are highly religious people. The Gallup International (2012) ranked Nigeria as the second most religious country in the world, based on a survey that shows that 93 per cent of her population tended to be religious. Religion plays an important role in the politics, economy and security of Nigeria as a nation. The Nigerian politicians understand this position and are obediently observing a non-writing code of a Christian-Muslim ticket in a political contest. This arrangement has gone a long way to reduce religious tension in the federation. Nigeria has witnessed a series of religious conflicts since the 1980s. There are frequent incidents of Christian-Muslim conflicts, and recently Islamic fundamentalists are proliferating in Nigeria. Certain religious doctrines and rituals are often manipulated to encourage violent conflict. A recent example is the campaign of terror in the Lake Chad region by the Nigerian based Islamist Boko Haram, which has killed over 23,000...
Many African nations are increasingly exploring the space frontier in pursuit of their developmen... more Many African nations are increasingly exploring the space frontier in pursuit of their development and security aspirations, with some 30 space agencies, 41 satellites and several ground facilities sponsored across the continent. Although most space programmes in Africa are administered by civilians and designed for research and development purposes, there is also a military-security dimension. During the Cold War, some African countries (prominently South Africa, Egypt and Libya) pursued space, missile and nuclear weapon triad capabilities until domestic and international political dynamics halted or softened those quests. From the second decade of 21st century, however, a new quest for military space capabilities has become evident in Africa. Several African states are embracing space support for military-security purposes. Hence, this study seeks to assess the growing interest and commitment to the acquisition of space capabilities in the military-security framework in Africa, co...
Nigeria has confronted several security conundrums in recent years, including armed banditry, whi... more Nigeria has confronted several security conundrums in recent years, including armed banditry, which poses a severe threat to the northwest and the entire nation. Northwest Nigeria has been hit by an unprecedented wave of kidnappings, maiming, killings, population displacements, cattle rustling, and disruption of socioeconomic activities due to the rise of armed bandits in the region. These events have created a climate of uncertainty that has become a cause for concern for the government and the citizenry. Relying on secondary sources of data, this article examines the causes, manifestations, and dimensions of armed banditry in northwest Nigeria, and its security implications. It provides a survey of both the visible and less-visible actors in the conflict. The article argues that armed banditry in the northwest and other parts of Nigeria transcends pastoralist insurgency, as evident in the dominant narratives, considering the multiplicity of complexly connected causal factors, actors, manifestations, and dimensions that are present in the threats posed by this development. The article also shows the negative impacts of armed banditry on human and national security in the region.
The deployments and campaigns of the Nigerian Air Force in North-West Nigeria have contributed to... more The deployments and campaigns of the Nigerian Air Force in North-West Nigeria have contributed to the military and strategic measures to neutralise or minimise the threats of armed banditry in the troubled region. While aerial operations have had some success, there have been notable downsides. Samuel Oyewole, Folahanmi Aina and John Sunday Ojo examine the mobilisation of air capabilities and associated campaigns against armed banditry in North-West Nigeria, the record of achievements and challenges, and the possible ways forward. Data for this study was gathered from both primary and secondary sources and analysed through a mixed method approach.
Jurnal Pertahanan: Media Informasi ttg Kajian & Strategi Pertahanan yang Mengedepankan Identity, Nasionalism & Integrity
Liberal political economists typically ascribe the reasons, natures, and dynamics of development ... more Liberal political economists typically ascribe the reasons, natures, and dynamics of development and security in the global South, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America, to internal deficiencies. As a result, among other things, weak institutions, policy deficits, ethnicity, corruption, bad leadership, and all other signs of an entity in desperate need of salvation have been recognized as dangers to the corporate existence and survival of African and other developing countries. While the decolonization of African and other developing countries has provided impacted peoples a sense of political belonging, the historical processes required to promote these nations' economic potential have been weakened. As a result, the capacity of postcolonial states to chart their development paths and reinvent themselves has been malignly berated, denied, and frustrated by neo-colonialist aspirations, strategies, and actions, those who had grudgingly and dishonestly foisted cancerous indepe...
This article assesses the manifestations of violence in Nigeria’s 2019 general elections, focusin... more This article assesses the manifestations of violence in Nigeria’s 2019 general elections, focusing on trend and spatial dimensions. The article also engages three methodological concerns against most academic studies on electoral violence in Nigeria and beyond. First, research in this area are dominated by extensive narrative, which often reduces quantity of electoral violence in Nigeria to politicised (conflicting, speculative and unverifiable) aggregate data on fatalities. Second, the rising quantification of electoral violence in Nigeria are dominated by perception surveys with little efforts to reconcile them with actual records. Third, large-n studies on violence recorded around elections in Africa are proliferating with sophisticated quantification techniques, which hardly accommodate country-specific details. In contrast, this study observed 2177 incidents of conflict recorded in Nigeria during the period of the elections, and extracted 275 cases of electoral violence for analysis. These data allow us to re-examine the prevailing periodisation of electoral violence in the literature, which ignored violence during inter-election periods. This study also identifies the national distribution and subnational concentration of the violence. These are relevant to guide policy research, advocacies, decisions and security preparedness for peaceful election in Nigeria.
The contradictions inherent in interests of stakeholders in oil politics have escalated to armed ... more The contradictions inherent in interests of stakeholders in oil politics have escalated to armed confrontations in the oil-producing Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Years of unrealised development aspirations of the Niger Delta people and environmental crisis in relation to oil spillage and gas flaring have encouraged resistance against the oil industries and the state in the region. The manner of this resistance and state responses have undergone the process of militarisation in the last decades. The paper, which is qualitative in nature and thus drawing much from secondary data establishes that a series of political solutions, including support for zoning of Nigerian Presidency to the Niger Delta, and policy initiatives such as the amnesty programme for militants have helped to subdue the crisis. However, oil and environmental politics remains militarised for the state and resistant groups in the Niger Delta. Consequently, this article seeks to examine the nature and context of the...
Democracy is a system of government greatly supported by the vast majority of Nigerians and they ... more Democracy is a system of government greatly supported by the vast majority of Nigerians and they are willing to sustain it. It is believed that the system guarantees security and promotes prosperity. It is considered a solution to most problems faced by the country. However, recent security challenges are reflections and continuation of political trends and the prospects of Democracy thriving in Nigeria. The focus of this article is to understand why democratic governments in Nigeria have failed in their effort to contain terrorism in the country as manifested by Boko Haram and other Islamist movements. Some elements of democracy as practised in Nigeria are observed in relations to the emergence of Boko Haram terrorism. It is submitted that, even when it does not equate to a counter-terrorism strategy, democracy still has some mechanisms that could be used to contain some factors that trigger or manifest terrorism.
The problems of African development and integration with the world of globalisation have continue... more The problems of African development and integration with the world of globalisation have continued to attract concern in the policymaking cycle and the academic world, within and beyond the shores of the continent. Ever since the issues of economic development became the continent’s priority, a series of propositions have been advanced and considered. Against a background of post-colonial nationalism, most African leaders have preferred African solutions to African (development and security) problems, despite the region’s continuous reliance on external investment and markets. At the moment, however, this strategy is low priority. In consideration of this, a revival and new dimension of the African Solution (AS) Strategy is observed in this paper. In this regard, global, regional and sub-regional struggles for competitiveness and the resultant hegemonic traits are seen to dominate the unveiling of AS Strategy.
AUSTRAL: Brazilian Journal of Strategy & International Relations, 2021
The sea/maritime domain is a critical frontier of human exploration and exploitation for food pro... more The sea/maritime domain is a critical frontier of human exploration and exploitation for food production, transportation, commerce, research, communication, mining, defence, security, power projection and prestige in international system. These made it a frontier of strategic cooperation, competition and conflict. Consequently, the sea has been militarised by littoral states, which have led to the rise of naval powers, across time and space. Naval power is strategically relevant in defence, security and power projection, as evident in its roles in warfare, deterrence, policing, and diplomacy across history. This is even more pronounced during the golden age of naval power, when the roles of the navy were decisive in outcomes of war, territorial defence and conquest, empire building and maintenance, bargaining, industrialisation, commerce and global policing. However, the strategic relevance of naval power has undergone notable changes with the rise of air, nuclear and space powers. ...
The complexity of democratisation has mystified the reality of the Third World States (TWS) democ... more The complexity of democratisation has mystified the reality of the Third World States (TWS) democracy. Accounta�ility inherent in market democracy is dual and the compliance of go�ernment in this spectrum is important on ideological and political grounds. This work intends to contri�ute to the argument around glo�alisation as related to state functions and the positions of democracies. The paper wishes to address ideological connotation of minimum state as forwarded �y neo-li�eralists and maximum quest as reflected by aspirations, needs and wants of people across the world. We therefore draw conclusion that state minimisation in the era of maximum quest is less fit in this complex interdependent epoch.
The involvement of the air force in a series of Joint Task Force (JTF) arrangements, which were i... more The involvement of the air force in a series of Joint Task Force (JTF) arrangements, which were initiated to neutralise various security threats, accounted for a growing record of air campaigns in Nigeria. Although there is growing public attention for airpower in Nigeria, its operational relevance and associated concerns have received inadequate academic attention. Accordingly, the understanding of recent developments in Nigeria’s air campaigns to neutralise targeted threats against security across the country remains largely limited and incoherent. This study, therefore, seeks to examine trends in air campaigns, with emphasis on cases, locations, targets and impacts of airstrike, in Nigeria. For this purpose, 241 cases of airstrike with 3,210 fatalities and 273 cases of air/land operations with 2,186 fatalities that were recorded across Nigeria in the last two decades were assessed. This is expected to contribute to a growing body of knowledge on air campaigns of the Nigerian Air ...
Introduction Nigerians are highly religious people. The Gallup International (2012) ranked Nigeri... more Introduction Nigerians are highly religious people. The Gallup International (2012) ranked Nigeria as the second most religious country in the world, based on a survey that shows that 93 per cent of her population tended to be religious. Religion plays an important role in the politics, economy and security of Nigeria as a nation. The Nigerian politicians understand this position and are obediently observing a non-writing code of a Christian-Muslim ticket in a political contest. This arrangement has gone a long way to reduce religious tension in the federation. Nigeria has witnessed a series of religious conflicts since the 1980s. There are frequent incidents of Christian-Muslim conflicts, and recently Islamic fundamentalists are proliferating in Nigeria. Certain religious doctrines and rituals are often manipulated to encourage violent conflict. A recent example is the campaign of terror in the Lake Chad region by the Nigerian based Islamist Boko Haram, which has killed over 23,000...
Many African nations are increasingly exploring the space frontier in pursuit of their developmen... more Many African nations are increasingly exploring the space frontier in pursuit of their development and security aspirations, with some 30 space agencies, 41 satellites and several ground facilities sponsored across the continent. Although most space programmes in Africa are administered by civilians and designed for research and development purposes, there is also a military-security dimension. During the Cold War, some African countries (prominently South Africa, Egypt and Libya) pursued space, missile and nuclear weapon triad capabilities until domestic and international political dynamics halted or softened those quests. From the second decade of 21st century, however, a new quest for military space capabilities has become evident in Africa. Several African states are embracing space support for military-security purposes. Hence, this study seeks to assess the growing interest and commitment to the acquisition of space capabilities in the military-security framework in Africa, co...
The Nigerian Civil War remains one of the most important political incidents in the history of th... more The Nigerian Civil War remains one of the most important political incidents in the history of the country. The Civil War covers the period of 30 months (1967-1970) of confrontation between the secessionist eastern region, Republic of Biafra and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The significant of this event for Nigerian political development cannot be overemphasised. Forty-four years after the war, its legacies have endured against the stability of the nation. Among the legacies of the Civil War and notable reasons for the book are: 1) despite the policy of reintegration pursued by the post-civil war governments, the Igbos (members of the ethnic group that dominated the secession) still continued to feel less secure outside their 'state of origin', and most particularly in the northern region; 2) the Igbo people have remained politically marginalised in the national politics; and 3) Biafra and neo-Biafra ideas have continued to serve as popular points of rally and advocacy. The relevance of violent advocacy groups like Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) is an instance. Appreciable number of books has appeared on the subject of Nigerian Civil War. Some of the existing accounts have engaged the Civil War broadly, while others focused on aspects of the event, including antecedents of the war, battle experiences, the cost, international dimension, the consequences et-central. It is within the context of antecedents of the war and overall cost incurred by the Igbo nation before and during the war that one could find this book worthwhile. The book contribute to knowledge on civil war, ethno-regional politics, insurgency and terrorism, state viability, regime security, leadership crisis, art, education and diplomacy. The book benefited from the reputation of the author in the world of literature, in terms of attention. This account explains the Biafra secessionist struggle within the framework of leadership crisis in Nigeria. This factor is identified to have interplay the phenomenon of ethnicity, democratic reversal and state failure in Nigerian history. The book explains the trend that accounted for the personality clash between General Yakubu Gowon, the military head of state of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the military governor of the eastern region and the head of (defunct) Biafran state, Lt-Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. This personality clash plays out well within the framework of ethnic, regional and even religious cleavages. To this understanding, the civil war was identified as ethno-regional struggle within the country, but Ojukwu was successful with propaganda in depicting it as religious war for the Western world.
Hostage taking/kidnapping has emerged as one of the most important conflict tactics among the pro... more Hostage taking/kidnapping has emerged as one of the most important conflict tactics among the proliferating armed groups in Nigeria. The growing numbers of victim, heightening risk of violence, dynamics of context and the attendant political stakes have generated public concern for this practice and the fate of the hostages. A series of incidents that are related to the survival and treatment of hostages in captivity, including their killing, physical mutilation and sexual exploitation, have recently generated public outrage in Nigeria. Hence, it has become necessary to understand how and why armed groups handle their hostages the way they do in Nigeria. To this end, this study observed fifteen cases of specific hostage handling behaviours that involve seven different armed groups in Nigeria. The hostage handling behaviours are observed against the circumstances of the operations and the tactical and strategic objectives of the perpetrators. This is important to understand politically acceptable (i.e. positive) or outrageous (i.e. negative) handling behaviours of the hostages by the armed groups. The study recommends improved engagements and crisis management strategy by the security operatives as central mechanism to reduce the growing risk of negative hostage handling behaviours by armed groups in Nigeria.
This collection of essays examines the subject of power politics in Africa, paying special attent... more This collection of essays examines the subject of power politics in Africa, paying special attention to the interests of African regional powers, as well as their capabilities and strategies in the international arena. It provides a theoretical bridge between concerns for militarised national interest, perpetual distrust and insecurity, struggles for power and hegemony in power politics, and the spirit of pan-African solidarity, brotherhood, consensus, cooperation and integration. It is on these bases that this volume offers rich empirical insight into leading regional powers in Africa with special attention given to Nigeria and South Africa. It serves to contribute African perspectives to the field of International Relations, particularly regarding power politics, which is important in terms of Africanising the narratives of a subject matter that is largely considered as Eurocentric in African and other non-Western societies.
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Papers by Samuel Oyewole
Samuel Oyewole, Folahanmi Aina and John Sunday Ojo examine the mobilisation of air capabilities and associated campaigns against armed banditry in North-West Nigeria, the record of achievements and challenges, and the possible ways forward. Data for this study was gathered from both primary and secondary sources and analysed through a mixed method approach.
Samuel Oyewole, Folahanmi Aina and John Sunday Ojo examine the mobilisation of air capabilities and associated campaigns against armed banditry in North-West Nigeria, the record of achievements and challenges, and the possible ways forward. Data for this study was gathered from both primary and secondary sources and analysed through a mixed method approach.