The peace accord between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Niger Delta (ND) militants, within the framework of the 2009 amnesty programme, immediately yielded positive results. Daily oil production, which had drastically declined to an all time low of 1.4 million barrels, soon shot up to 2.2 million barrels as the deal restored relative calm in the region. In recent times, however, the seeming peace in the region has disappeared, to the consternation of those who had touted a DDR approach to the conflict in Nigeria's oil 'republic'. Kidnapping, for ransom in the region, shifted from high profile abduction to anyone in society that can offer a price. More than any other explanation, this article locates the resurgence of violence in the region in the fault lines of the DDR programme implemented in 2009. The author contends that the deal was a 'cash for peace' programme cloaked in 'amnesty'; which has inadvertently created a violence appeal for those who seek a slice of the so-called 'national cake'.
State and multinational efforts aimed at containing jihadist terrorismin northern Nigeria have only yielded modest results despite the repressivenature of these efforts. The ranks of the foot soldiers of Boko Haram and Ansarufundamentalist Islamic sects continue to swell even in the face of the ferociousonslaught on their membership by state troops. In contrast to mainstream analysesthat highlight the salience of radical Islamism in coming to terms with insurgentproliferation, this article demonstrates that jihadist insurgency in northern Nigeriais better understood as a consequence of youth bulge syndrome, particularly thelow-cost availability of foot soldiers from the almajiri demographic cohort. Abandoned by parents and the state, the itinerant Quranic pupils resort to street, begging for alms and survival. And "street life" exposes the urchins to abuse, criminalization and subsequent mobilization for violent causes including terrorism. It is argued that until the practices of rampant child abuse and state neglect of thealmajirai and other vulnerable groups are addressed through better education, employment opportunities and poverty reduction, northern Nigeria is likely toremain a breeding ground of violent conflicts.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.