| 1 |
Author(s):
Nta, Abasiama Joseph.
Page No : 1-18
|
AGE-GRADE INSTITUTIONS AND COMMUNITY SECURITY MANAGEMENT IN PRE-COLONIAL IBIBIO LAND, C. 1700–1900
Abstract
Indigenous communities in pre-colonial Africa developed
institutional mechanisms for maintaining security, regulating
conduct and preserving social order in the absence of
formal state security agencies. Among the Ibibio of presentday
Akwa Ibom State, age-grade institutions constituted an
important component of this indigenous security
architecture. Yet scholarship on Ibibio political and social
organisation has paid greater attention to traditional
political institutions and secret societies, leaving the security
functions of age grades comparatively underexamined. This
study examines the role of age-grade institutions in
community security management in pre-colonial Ibibio land
between 1700 and 1900, focusing on their organisational
structure, security responsibilities, crime-prevention practices,
intelligence gathering, conflict resolution and defence of
communities. The study adopts a qualitative historical
approach, drawing on oral interviews with traditional
authorities, community elders and custodians of indigenous
knowledge, alongside archival materials, books, journal
articles, theses and other historical sources. The evidence
demonstrates that age-grade institutions operated as
organised mechanisms of collective security through
community patrols, enforcement of customary norms,
protection of lives and property, intelligence gathering and
the management of internal and external threats. The study
argues that age grades were not merely social organisations
but integral institutions of indigenous governance and
security administration. Their history illuminates the
institutional sophistication of pre-colonial Ibibio society and
enriches broader understandings of indigenous African
security systems.
Keywords: Ibibio Age-grade institutions; community
security; pre-colonial Africa; Community Defence; Akwa-
Ibom State
| 2 |
Author(s):
Desmond Okechukwu Igbo.
Page No : 19-41
|
The Amotekun Corps and Internal Security in Ondo State: An Assessment of Community-Based Policing
Abstract
Nigeria’s growing incidence of kidnapping, armed robbery, farmer–herder conflict and related violent crimes has exposed significant limitations in the country’s conventional security architecture and intensified interest in community-based security arrangements. Established in 2020, the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun) represents an attempt to complement formal security institutions through community-oriented and intelligence-led policing. This study examines the role and effectiveness of the Amotekun Security Outfit in addressing security challenges in Ondo State, focusing on its operational strategies, crime-control capacity and contribution to local security governance. Guided by Community Policing Theory, the study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining questionnaire data and key informant interviews with relevant secondary sources. Data were obtained from 380 respondents across the three senatorial districts, comprising security personnel, Amotekun operatives, traditional rulers, farmers, traders and other community stakeholders. The findings indicate that Amotekun has strengthened local security through intelligence gathering, patrols, community engagement and collaboration with conventional agencies. Respondents also reported high awareness of the Corps and perceived improvements in the control of kidnapping, armed robbery, farmer–herder conflict and related crimes. The study concludes that Amotekun constitutes an important complementary security institution, although operational and logistical constraints persist. It recommends stronger institutional support, improved welfare and logistics, enhanced inter-agency coordination and sustained community participation.
Keywords: Community Policing; Amotekun; Internal Security; Crime Prevention; Ondo State; Nigeria.
| 3 |
Author(s):
Saidu Mukhtar; Apex Anselm Apeh .
Page No : 42-60
|
History of Military Recruitment in Zuru Emirate During the First World War
Abstract
This study examines the history of military recruitment in Zuru Emirate (Dakarkari) during the First World War, a neglected yet pivotal chapter in Northern Nigeria’s colonial military historiography. Despite their resistance to British conquest between 1904 and 1908, the Dakarkari earned admiration for their martial qualities, bravery, and tactical prowess, leading colonial authorities to actively recruit them into the West African Frontier Force (WAFF). Drawing on traditional institutions such as golmo (youth farm labour clubs fostering discipline and endurance), wrestling, hunting, and archery, Zuru youths were culturally predisposed to military service. These practices, combined with their successful defiance of the Sokoto Jihad and colonial forces, aligned with the British “martial race” theory. During WWI, the Zuru Division became a major recruitment hub; in 1917, 1918, 1921, and 1924 alone, over 21,991 men were enlisted, with Dakarkari forming a significant contingent through voluntary and conscription systems. Many served as combatants, carriers, signallers, and support staff across West African campaigns. The paper argues that Zuru’s deep military tradition not only shaped the formative nucleus of the Nigerian Army but also influenced the Emirate’s socio-economic landscape. Data for the research were obtained through primary and secondary sources, including archival records, newspaper articles, and other related documents. This research accentuates the Dakarkari’s outsized contributions to Nigeria’s military heritage and the lasting legacy of colonial recruitment in the region.
Keywords: military recruitment; World War 1; Zuru Emirate; military history; British Colonial Rule
| 4 |
Author(s):
Okposio George; Prof. Eugene O Eugene.
Page No : 61-82
|
Public Service Reforms and the Repositioning of Institutional Mandates: Strategic Implications for Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research Mission, 2015–2023
Abstract
This paper examines how Nigeria’s post-2015 public service reforms reshaped the institutional mandate and research mission of NITR between 2015 and 2023. While existing works on Nigerian public service reform have largely focused on ministries and service-delivery agencies, limited attention has been paid to how reform logic affect specialised research institutions whose outputs are long-term and knowledge-intensive. The study addresses this gap by interrogating the reform instruments such as fiscal controls, digital governance systems, and performance-based management reconfigured NITR’s operational priorities and strategic orientation. The study adopts a qualitative historical and institutional approach, drawing on policy documents, official circulars, audit reports, in-depth interviews with senior officials from NITR, the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (FMIST), and a few secondary sources. The findings show that public service reforms compelled NITR to reposition its mandate from a predominantly research-driven institution to a development-oriented public agency, enhancing accountability and policy relevance while constraining scientific autonomy and long-term research capacity. The paper concludes that mandate repositioning at NITR represents a strategic leadership response to reform pressures, highlighting the need for reform frameworks that balance performance accountability with sustained scientific inquiry.
Keywords: Public Service Reforms; mandate repositioning; Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research (NITR); strategic adaptation; scientific autonomy
| 5 |
Author(s):
Sanusi Kaura Mohammed.
Page No : 82-90
|
Gwandu Emirate and Primary Health Care Service Delivery in Kebbi State, 2005–2025
Abstract
Primary Health Care (PHC) constitutes a critical foundation of effective healthcare systems, particularly in rural and underserved communities where access to formal health services remains constrained. In Kebbi State, traditional institutions have historically complemented government efforts in grassroots development, including healthcare delivery. Yet, scholarship has paid limited attention to the institutional role of emirate authorities in the historical development and delivery of PHC in Northern Nigeria. This study examines the role of the Gwandu Emirate in primary healthcare service delivery in Kebbi State between 2005 and 2025, focusing on maternal and child healthcare, immunisation, disease prevention, health education, community mobilisation and collaboration with government agencies and development partners. Adopting a qualitative historical approach, the study draws on oral interviews, archival materials, government reports, policy documents and relevant secondary literature, analysed through historical and thematic methods. The findings demonstrate that the Gwandu Emirate strengthened community mobilisation, supported maternal and child healthcare and immunisation initiatives, facilitated disease-prevention activities, and promoted collaboration between communities, government institutions and development partners. However, inadequate funding, personnel shortages, political interference and weak infrastructure constrained these contributions. The study argues that the Emirate constituted an important institution of grassroots health governance, demonstrating how traditional authorities can complement formal healthcare structures and deepen community participation in PHC delivery.
Keywords: Keywords: Primary Health Care; Gwandu Emirate; Traditional Institutions; Healthcare Governance; Kebbi State.
| 6 |
Author(s):
Prof. Emorc Cyril Emordi & Dr. Lucky Success Ehimeme Enato.
Page No : 91-114
|
The Gowon–Ojukwu Leadership Impasse, August 1966–July 1967: A Prelude to the Nigerian Civil War
Abstract
This study examines the Gowon–Ojukwu leadership impasse between August 1966 and July 1967 as a major political and constitutional crisis that contributed to the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War. Following the counter-coup of July 1966, competing claims to military authority, constitutional legitimacy and the future structure of the Nigerian state deepened divisions within the military establishment. The emergence of Lieutenant-Colonel Yakubu Gowon as Head of the Federal Military Government and Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s refusal to recognise his authority further strained relations between the federal government and the Eastern Region. Using historical and qualitative methods, the study draws on documentary evidence, official records and relevant secondary literature to examine the succession dispute, the breakdown of negotiations, the Aburi Conference of January 1967, disagreements over the interpretation and implementation of its resolutions, and the promulgation of Decree No. 8 of 1967. It argues that the leadership impasse was not the sole cause of the war but significantly compounded existing political tensions, weakened confidence in federal authority and reduced the prospects for a negotiated settlement. The study demonstrates how unresolved disputes over leadership, federal power and regional autonomy contributed to the transition from political confrontation to civil war in July 1967.
Keywords: Gowon–Ojukwu leadership impasse; Nigerian Civil War; military succession; Aburi Accord; federalism; regional autonomy.
| 7 |
Author(s):
Na’ima Haruna Izge; Nelson Gambo.
Page No : 115-138
|
Community-Based Counterinsurgency Efforts in Nigeria: The Case of Civilian Joint Task Force in Borno State, 2013-2024
Abstract
Boko Haram insurgency in Northeastern Nigeria resulted in unconventional security responses. Notable among them is the emergence of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Borno State in 2013. This paper examines the role, contributions, and challenges of the Civilian Joint Task Force in counterinsurgency operations between 2013 and 2024. Although there is literature in the study area, these works did not focus on the role of the Civilian Joint Task Force in counterinsurgency at the community level in Borno State, which informed the gap this research fills. Using a qualitative methodology to interrogate the sources, the study explores the group's operational contributions to intelligence gathering, insurgent identification, territorial recovery, and community mobilisation. Findings reveal that the Civilian Joint Task Force has significantly supported military operations through its local knowledge and community networks. However, human rights concerns, inadequate training, weak institutional regulation, poor welfare, and reintegration challenges undermine its sustainability. The paper recommends improved training, legal recognition, accountability mechanisms, and comprehensive reintegration programmes to strengthen community-based counterinsurgency efforts in Nigeria.
Keywords: Community Security, Counterinsurgency, Civilian Joint Task Force, Boko Haram, National Security.
