ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC PERCEPTION ON THE CAUSES OF ACTS OF TERRORISM IN JOS NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA
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Date
2024-05-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
GUSAU JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY
Abstract
Nowadays, terrorism is one of the biggest problems confronting the world. Terrorism and
insecurity pose significant global concerns and Nigeria has been bedeviled by a number of security
challenges, the most prominent being that of Boko Haram. Worldwide, terrorism continues to
become more concentrated, with 57 countries reporting a terror attack in 2022, compared to 59 in
2021 and 74 in 2015 when terrorism reached its peak. Terrorism was most concentrated in the
Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa, where 65 per cent of attacks in the region took place in the
ten countries in the region. In Nigeria, the impact of terrorism, however, witnessed a temporal
decline; with total deaths falling by 23 per cent, decreasing from 497 in 2021 to 385 in 2022.This
study assessed public perception on the causes of acts of terrorism in Jos North Local Government
Area of Plateau State. In Jos North, a combination of factors-economic, political and identity - has
instigated violence over the years, producing segregation in the city mainly along ethnic lines. The
sample for this study is made up of four hundred and twenty (420) respondents drawn from a total
population of 917,000, using a combination of probability and non-probability sampling
techniques. The study sample was determined using the sample size determination table by Krejcie
and Morgan. The survey gathered responses from 403 out of 420, with a response rate of 96%.
Data were analyzed through the use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version
29. The study was guided by the social structure and anomie theory. It was found from this study
that respondents attributed the causes of acts of terrorism in the study area to political
marginalization, injustice, poverty, unemployment, and negative religious teaching. The
consequences of terrorism are significant and have wide-ranging impacts on the community by
way of economic and social disruption. In light of the above findings, the study recommends the
need to address political marginalization through inclusive governance, tackling injustice through
fair legal systems, implementing policies to mitigate poverty, reduce unemployment and promote
positive teachings to counteract negative influences. Additionally, there is the need to encourage
community engagement and education, to mitigate the root causes of terrorism.