Effect of Banditry on Academic Pursuit of Youth in Katsina State
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
The main objective of this study is to investigate the Effect of Banditry On the Academic pursuit of youth in Katsina State
The specific objectives of the study were to:
- To investigate the effect of acts of banditry on academic pursuit of youth in Katsina.
- To examine the effect of loss of parents due to bandits activities on academic pursuit of youth in Katsina
- To analyze the influence of physical displacement of parents by bandits on academic pursuit of youth in Katsina.
- To examine the influence of attack on schools by bandits on students’ participation and academic performance
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Banditry
Banditry means occurrence or prevalence of armed robbery or violent crime. It involves the use of force, or threat to that effect, to intimidate a person with the intent to rob rape or kill. Banditry is a crime against persons. It has been a common genre of crime, as well as cause violence in contemporary societies (Nigeria Watch, 2011).The concept of banditry has been changing over time, space and circumstances. A bandit in the 19th century Europe and Americas was a freedom fighter whose aim was partly to ensure the emancipation of the downtrodden from the upper class or colonised over the colonizer (Warto,1994:128). Furthermore, bandits like Chucho el Roto, Herachio Bernel and Santanon were often celebrated as heroes of Mexican independence. Therefore, Mexicans have warm regards and respect for those “social workers” termed bandits, while on the contrary, the State often considered them as nuisance and outlaws that need to be eradicated (Michael Watts,1987:8).According to Rotberg (2007:33), “crime against persons, including murder, rape, and robbery has grown in scale and viciousness in Nigeria since 1999”. This has been demonstrated by the pervasive trend of armed robbery in the country, which in effect mirrors the Africa-wide experience. In this regard, Onimode opines that:
Car snatching robbery of homes and offices, way-laying of travellers (high-way robbery) are common forms of armed robbery in African countries. Their incidence has been rising since the African crises started in the 1980s (Onimode, 2001:37).
Therefore, in some pre-industrial societies peasants see bandits differently from the State not as outlaws, hoodlums and miscreants but as avengers and “bread winners”. However, a bandit in traditional African setting is entirely opposite to that of Americas and Europe, the former specialised in armed robbery and other related crimes (Curott & Fink, 2008:46). The most common feature of banditry in Africa has been maiming, killing and wanton destruction of properties and hence, it has a direct relationship with cattle rustling (Rufa’I, 2017:8). Since most herdsmen could do anything possible to prevent the rustling of their herds, then the bandit also apply force with the aid of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) to ensure effective stealing of livestock (Addo,2006:7). Hence, the application of force during livestock theft is what is herein considered banditry and dynamic operating pattern of crime.
Armed banditry as a security threat in Nigeria
Armed banditry and cattle rustling has become rampant especially in more recent times in Nigeria’s history. Bassey & Ubi, (2016) noted that there are more cases of cattle being stolen without harming anyone, even in broad daylight. Before the year 2010, armed banditry used to be overlooked and under-reported mostly handled by the locals. However, the year 2010 ushered in a set of criminal gangs who specialized in armed banditry and so a new style of banditry emerged which involved not only rustling the cattle but killing the owners and scaring people away from their communities (Dauda, 2014, Rufai, 2016;). Furthermore, Anka, (2017) posits that the 2011 general election in Nigeria brought about the emergence of these security threats that have crippled social and economic life in some Zamfara communities including Dansadau, Zurmi, Shinkafi, Anka, Maradun and Tsafe forest. Accordingly, it was further discovered that no fewer than 36 communities along these villages have been destroyed and no fewer than 15,000 cattle were rustled (Kiruwa, 2017; Daniya, 2017; Tukur, 2017 as cited in Anka, 2017). In other words, socio-economic activities in these communities have been paralysed.
Factors Promoting Banditry in Nigeria
Several factors have been adduced as the driving forces of banditry in Nigeria and most especially in the northwest region of the country. Drivers of banditry in northwestern Nigeria consist in some socio-existential conditions that characterise the interior as well as the frontiers of the region. Prominent among these conditions are the scarcely governed spaces- the hinterlands, forestlands and borderlines of the region. The northwestern hinterlands are marked by extremely dispersed rural settlements, separated by rangelands and farmlands that are susceptible to violent contestations (Gaye, 2018). They are also interspersed by diverse forested landscapes, some of which are dotted by wetlands, rocks and caves. Apart from being separated from each other, they are equally far separated from the centers of governance at the local and state levels. The forestlands of the region are vast, rugged and hazardous. Most importantly, they are grossly under-policed to the point that makes them conducive for all forms of jungle criminality. In view of this, violent crimes, such as banditry, have festered and thrived in such forested areas. Most attacks occur in remote villages, close to forested regions in the north-west where there is little security presence (Gaye, 2018). In likewise manner, banditry occurs in large swathes of forest reserves that are generally out of the reach of the Nigerian security operatives. Most of the bandit activities take place in state-owned reserves such as the Kamuku, Kiyanbana, and Fagore forests in Northern Nigeria. The forests offer perfect locations as hide outs for the criminals to evade arrest from security forces.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to examine the effect of banditry on academic pursuit of youth in Katsina.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
- Primary source and
- Secondary source
- Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in gathering information relevant to the examine the effect of banditry on academic pursuit of youth in Katsina. Two hundred (200) residents in Dandume , Faskari , Sabuwa and Kankara were selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF DATA
One hundred and sixty (160) questionnaires were distributed and one hundred and forty (133) were returned. This figure was the sample size. Out of the one hundred and thirty-three, only one hundred and twenty (120) were properly responded to. As a result, the researcher used one hundred and twenty for this study when more than 50% of the respondents agree to the questions, the answer is taken as valid for the purpose of this study. In analyzing the data, the approach that will be adopted is to find out the percentage and positive and negative answers to the question posed.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain effect of banditry on academic pursuit of youth in Katsina state
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of effect of banditry on academic pursuit of youth
Summary
This study was on effect of banditry on academic pursuit of youth in Katsina state. Four objectives were raised which included: To investigate the effect of acts of banditry on academic pursuit of youth in Katsina, to examine the effect of loss of parents due to bandit’s activities on academic pursuit of youth in Katsina, to analyze the influence of physical displacement of parents by bandits on academic pursuit of youth in Katsina and to examine the influence of attack on schools by bandits on students’ participation and academic performance. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up of students, youths, married women and married man were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
The conclusions are drawn based on the above findings of the study; Educational output (i.e. human capital investments) is influenced by banditry. It is concluded that the level of investment in human beings required to be achieved by a society, will be difficult with the present of banditry. This is because, banditry lead to high level of students dropout. Improvements in the level of school enrolment, schools attendance and school infrastructure are significantly determined by the level of educational input into Education by Government. That is, the higher the level of school enrolment, school attendance and schools infrastructure, the higher the level of educational output. This implies that educational output increase with the increase in the level of school enrolment, school attendance and schools infrastructure. With the presence of banditry in a society the level of school enrolment, school attendance and school infrastructure are significantly affected, in which the level of educational output is affected. Conclusively, banditry indirectly and significantly affects human capital investment through school enrolments, school attendance and school infrastructure. Extreme religious believes, high level of unemployment as well as illiteracy determined the emergence of banditry. This implies that increase in the level of banditry activities is determined by the high level of extreme religious beliefs, unemployment and illiteracy. In conclusion therefore, high level of unemployment and illiteracy make people to be easily brainwashed to get involved in the banditry activities.
Recommendation
The study also recommended that, since extreme religious beliefs, unemployment and illiteracy are the contributory factors to insurgency as shown by the findings; government should provide employment opportunities for the citizens and encourage them to be self-reliant. This can only be done through giving them loans and training them on different types of businesses. This can also be done through organising seminars on business issues. As such, people will not easily be brainwashed or get involved in any activity that is characterized as insurgency.
References
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