DEMOCRACY AND VIOLENCE: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACTS OF KALARE THUGGERY IN GOMBE STATE, 2003-2013
DEMOCRACY AND VIOLENCE: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACTS OF KALARE THUGGERY IN GOMBE STATE, 2003-2013
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Date
2015-05
Authors
ABUBAKAR, UMAR ALHAJI
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Abstract
Thuggery has become a pervasive phenomenon affecting innocent individuals and democratic activities in Gombe state. The kalare thugs move mostly in groups victimizing, terrorizing, intimidating, and injuring not only politicians but also innocent individuals at their homes, shops and on the streets which resulted to loss of lives and valuable properties in the state. It is against this background, therefore, this research attempted to the impacts of kalare thugs on democratic and social activities, in spite measures adopted by governments to overcome the phenomenon in the state from 2003 to 2013. Accordingly, the objectives of this study are to find out the factors responsible for the recurrent of kalare thuggery, to evaluate the impact of kalare thuggery on democratic and social activities and to assess the effectiveness of government policies and programmes designed to overcome kalare thuggery in the state. The study considered these assumptions which include, kalare thuggery recurs frequently in Gombe state because it is sponsored by the elites and by the thugs themselves, kalare thuggery affects democratic and social activities in Gombe state because individual lives and valuable properties are lost and measures adopted by governments to overcome kalare thuggery are inadequate because kalare thugs are protected by their sponsors and are subjectively punished by authorities concerned. The method of data collection and analysis is quantitative and qualitative which complement each other through the use of simple percentage, charts and tabulation. Similarly, two theories are used include Social Learning Theory and Elite Theory. Finally, the findings of the study shows that thuggery in the state is as a result of selfish interest of the thugs themselves, unemployment, illiteracy, poor governance, group sentiment, political manipulation, poverty, injustice and inactive security agencies; the impacts of menace as revealed include inflicting fear amongst candidates, hindering electorates from political activities, killing of innocent people, violating human rights, destruction of valuable properties, insecurity during and after elections and intimidation of people within the state. Thus, the government of Gombe state needs an effective response, in order to overcome the menace of kalare thuggery as recommended by the researcher
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BEING A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF SCIENCE (M.Sc.) DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE,
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
Keywords
DEMOCRACY,, VIOLENCE,, ASSESSMENT,, IMPACTS,, KALARE,, THUGGERY,, GOMBE STATE,, 2003-2013