From Marginalization to Militancy: Understanding Banditry through the Lens of Governance Failure in Nigeria

Abstract

The persistence and escalation of banditry in Nigeria—particularly across the country’s Northwest region reflecting a deep-seated governance failure that has eroded the state’s legitimacy and capacity to provide public goods. Far from being isolated acts of criminality, the widespread violence attributed to armed bandit groups exposes the structural weaknesses of governance manifested in institutional decay, socio-economic exclusion, and rural neglect. This study interrogates the link between governance failure and the evolution of banditry, arguing that the phenomenon represents not merely a security challenge but a systemic outcome of political, economic, and institutional dysfunction. Drawing on qualitative data generated from key informant interviews and focus group discussions conducted in Kaduna, Katsina, and Zamfara States, the research applies the theoretical lenses of Failed State Theory and the Political Economy of Violence to explain how state incapacity and structural inequalities have fostered violent non-state formations. Empirical findings reveal that the erosion of state presence in rural communities, elite corruption, youth unemployment, and the weakening of traditional governance institutions have collectively created conditions for the transformation of local grievances into organized armed militancy. Bandit groups have gradually evolved into quasi-political actors, establishing informal governance systems, imposing taxes, and controlling local economies in spaces where state authority has receded. The paper contributes to existing scholarship by providing contextually grounded evidence from community-level narratives, which are often missing in broader analyses of insecurity in Nigeria. Theoretically, it bridges the gap between structural governance failure and the informal political economy of violence, demonstrating how both reinforce each other in perpetuating instability. Policy-wise, the study advances an alternative framework that transcends militarized countermeasures by emphasizing inclusive governance, rural economic revitalization, justice sector reforms, and the reinvigoration of traditional and community-based institutions. It concludes that sustainable peace and security in Northwestern Nigeria require rebuilding state legitimacy through equitable service delivery, transparent leadership, and participatory development.