The Socio-economic Impact of the Activities of “Unknown Gunmen” on Market Women in Imo State

Abstract

Efforts have been put in place to tackle the menace of “unknown gunmen” as well as other security issues in the country, but little has been done to address poverty and unemployment as root causes of security threats in Nigeria. Thus, in view of the continued existence of the “unknown gunmen”, this study sought to investigate the socioeconomic impact of the activities of the “unknown gunmen” on market women in Imo State. The study anchored on the Routine Activity theory. Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, was purposively selected for this study because, it has experienced more activities by the “unknown gunmen” than other LGAs in Imo state. Three towns however, were randomly picked and a sample size of 352 used for the study. Findings revealed that the activities of the unknown gunmen have affected the socioeconomic life of market women by restricting their movement and reducing patronage. It was further revealed that some of the challenges facing the fight against “unknown gunmen” are; the lack of information, public support and prompt response from security personnel. It was also revealed that the increased rate of poverty and unemployment is one of the problems facing the fight against unknown gunmen. Therefore, the study recommended that, government and non-governmental organizations to work together to eradicate unemployment and poverty in the country.