International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume VI, Issue XII, December 2022|ISSN 2454-6186
Border Security: A Culture in Crisis in South Western Nigeria?
Olanrewaju Abdulwasii OLADEJO
Department of Peace, Security and Humanitarian Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Abstract: A combination of public speculations and avalanche of media reportage are suggestive of fading culture of border security giving rise to evolving organized crimes along popular borders between Nigeria and Benin Republic. The study sought to establish veracity or otherwise of the claim with a view to signpost possible implications via security lens. Study adopted descriptive design and empirical evidence from analyzed data indicated faded culture of border security and affirmed six genres of organized crimes namely human trafficking, vehicle smuggling, smuggling of contraband goods, smuggling of small arms and light weapons, drug trafficking and migrant smuggling, perpetrated at varying degrees with contributory causes being border porosity, ignorance of the crimes, lucrativity of the crimes, poverty and unemployment. The nefarious practices were affirmed and noted to constitute a huge burden on the nation in different spheres, security sphere in particular. Thus, upgraded digitization of border security operations via incorporation of aerial surveillance, training on inter-agency collaboration, sensitization of border area dwellers, strategic recruitment of personnel and national rebirth advocacy to encourage legitimate dealings along the corridor to rebuild the culture of border security intelligence among border community dwellers and rekindle sense of patriotism in border security operatives were recommended
Keywords: border community dwellers, migrant smuggling, contributory causes, transborder crimes
I. INTRODUCTION
Culture of Communal Security
The African culture of communal living cannot be mistaken as it dots several activities the people of African descent are known over time whether at home or in diaspora. It is a practice which has endured several generations as though the survival of each clan, each community, each tribe or ethnic enclave depends on it. Kwazu (2018), posited that the communal lifestyle among indigenous black people gave rise to the philosophical mindset behind the Ubuntu ideology of the Zulu people of South Africa. According to Baken (2015), Ubuntu lies at the heart of the African way of life and impacts on every aspect of the people’s well-being. He stated further that Ubuntu is actually regarded as the soul force that drives almost every facet of societal life in African societies which creates relationship beyond borders as long as the course of humanity is involved. The construct explicates a culture that places emphasis humanity expressed in the phrase “I am because You are” which underpins the Ubuntu philosophy. Of course, it is a philosophical statement, but the idea transcends mere philosophy of idealistic contextualization, as it could be seen, practically, in all spheres of life endeavour, at least, most prominent in the past. For instance, in the traditional African