The Causes of the Rising Incidence of Terrorism Occasioning Deprivation of the Right to Life in Nigeria

Abstract

Municipal and international laws prohibit killing a human being except where it is excused by law. However, the unfortunate monster of terrorism, which is currently ravaging the world, has turned many human societies within the global environment into slaughtering grounds where human lives are terminated with reckless abandon almost daily, especially in Nigeria. Though there are laws enacted to curb this heinous act, it has remained unabated. It is in this regard this study adopts a hybrid research method, which includes a doctrinal and non-doctrinal approach. Therefore, an online questionnaire survey was sent to 243 respondents (randomly selected) who live in Nigeria to ascertain the causes of the rising incidence of terrorism occasioning deprivation of the right to life in Nigeria and possible solutions. Therefore, the study found that a defective state policing system, poverty, illiteracy, and bad leadership are the causes of the current increase in terrorism in Nigeria. The study therefore concludes and recommends that the Nigerian government's reliance on legislation and the battle of arms may prove to be effective in tackling terrorism in the short run, but it will not completely subdue it. In this regard, eradication of extreme poverty, state policing effective policing system, and good leadership will aid in curtailing the monster of terrorism in the long run.

Keywords: Domestic terrorism, Freedom, Justice, Inequality, Liberation, The right to life, Terrorism.