ARMED BANDITRY AND SECURITY CHALLENGES IN SANKERA AREA OF BENUE STATE 2020-2021

The study examined banditry and security challenges in Sankara area of Benue State 2012-2021. The study was anchored on the failed system theory. The method adopted in this study was a descriptive survey design with questionnaire being the major source of data collection. The findings of this study revealed that, Sakara area has witnessed an unprecedented level of insecurity. This has threatened national security and has prompted huge allocation of the state budget to security. Sankara has witnessed a number of security challenges associated with armed robbery, political assassination, arms proliferation, ethno-religious conflicts and herdsmen/farmer’s conflict. The security challenges have assumed a formidable dimension forcing the state political, economic managers and, indeed the entire nation, to rue the loss of their loved ones, investments and absence of safety in most part of the State. The study further showed that, crimes in Sankara are perpetrated due to the proliferation of small and light weapons in the hands of the youth, many of whom had been armed by the politicians to fight their dirty battles in order to win elections at all cost. Poverty is also predisposing factors to banditry activities in Sankara area. Porous borders around the State which facilitates unrestricted and untracked movements of people have greatly contributed to insecurity in the area and weak security and judiciary system is a predisposing factor to banditry activities in Sankara area of Benue State. Thus, insecurity destabilizes the production of food and raw material for the manufacturing sector in Nigeria. It also contributes to the high rate of poverty and starvation and also leads to social disorganization amongst the families in the State. Another consequence of Banditry Activities in Sankara area of Benue State is the general loss of lives and properties. A lot of inhabitants in Benue State especially farmers died as a result of the activities of bandits. This made the economy of the people low and the conflict has thus rendered the people impoverished and indeed worse than they were before the conflict in all spheres of livelihood. Thus, both the Federal, State and local Governments have made efforts towards tackling the insecurity in Guma Local government but the situation still persists. The Effort by the government to curtail insecurity in Sankara permanently in order to bring an end to insecurity in the area has proved abortive. This led the present administration to launched the Benue State Amnesty programme on May 29th, 2015 at IBB square in order to recover these weapons from the youth and train them to engage in socially acceptable employment and consequently reduce crime in Benue State. These Amnesty proggammes have been carried out to the end. Nevertheless, there is controversy about their outcome. The study in line with these findings recommended that Government should create amnesty offices as well as skill acquisition centers for beneficiaries of the programs in the three senatorial zones of the state. In addition, the state government should engage bilateral and international institutions for assistance with the amnesty program's execution. The state government should make concerted efforts to fully develop the productive forces and modify the nature and structure of the economy that is reliant on federal funding. To succeed, both state and non-state actors will be required.