The Nigerian State and Terrorism

Abstract

This paper interrogates the impact of the character of Nigerian state on the origin and escalation of terrorist activities in Nigeria. The menace posed by terrorists has generated great tension and anxiety across the globe, Nigeria not spared. In recent months Nigeria has lost unquantifiable property and thousands of lives as a result of the menace, yet threats and signals of imminent terrorist attacks are received daily. The paper adopted Marxist theory of post colonial state and argues that the inherent characteristics of Nigerian state account for the origin and escalation of terrorism in Nigeria. We relied essentially on secondary data generated through observation and adopted qualitative descriptive technique in analyzing them. We recommended inclusive and consultative governance as a panacea to the menace given its capacity to accommodate opposing views and interests.