CHALLENGES OF CRIMINAL ANTICS IN BORDERLAND SECURITY: A STUDY OF SELECTED LGA'S IN OGUN STATE.

CHALLENGES OF CRIMINAL ANTICS IN BORDERLAND SECURITY: A STUDY OF SELECTED LGA'S IN OGUN STATE.

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Background Of The Study

In a great number of nations, borderland security has received a lot of attention recently. It is pursued in the United States of America in order to put a stop to the unlawful smuggling of items into the country that are considered to be against the law and are outlawed by the government. Additionally, the European Union serves as a model that demonstrates how enhanced trade regulations at international borders may positively affect both national security and economic growth (Andrews, 2007). Poverty, a lack of good governance, corruption, persistent armed conflict, armed banditry, porous border security, and transnational crimes are all factors that contribute to the complexity of Nigeria's borderland security problems. These problems are made worse by the fact that Nigeria has her own share of these problems. According to Milkey (2013), nations with porous borders have a much higher incidence of borderland crimes. This is typical in the majority of African nations, including Nigeria. As a consequence of this, the political, economic, and social links that exist between nations are prone to disintegration (Hatchard, 2006). According to Abia (2013), borderland crimes include a number of illegal and notorious activities that are carried out by individuals and groups across national and international borders, either for financial or economic benefits or also for socio-political or religious considerations. These activities may be motivated by money, but they may also be motivated by religious beliefs or political ideologies. It refers to a series of illegal activities with perpetrators and consequences that extend beyond the borders of a single nation or region. To name a few examples, these would be things like the smuggling of people, the laundering of money, the trafficking of drugs, the smuggling of weapons or the trafficking of weapons, transnational terrorism, illegal oil bunkering, illicit trafficking trafficking, and commercial fraud. In a similar fashion, Okafor(2017) asserted that the nature of the crimes that occur in borderlands include money laundering; the smuggling of arms, which leads to the local proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALWs); as well as the build up of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) materials; illegal oil bunkering and illicit trafficking in mineral resources; business fraud, etc.

Communities that are located around Nigeria's borders are among the country's most impoverished and have some of the lowest literacy rates as well as some of the worst unemployment and poverty rates as a result of the country's challenging topography. As a result of the interaction of all of these elements, the Nigerian borderlands have the highest rate of crimes that are connected to borders. As a result, the presence of such borders and the characteristics they possess may make it more difficult for law enforcement authorities to investigate crimes, prevent them, or discover them.

The Nigeria Customs Service is unable to effectively carry out its statutory functions, which include, but are not limited to, the collection of revenue and accounting for the same, anti-smuggling operations, security functions, combating illegal commercial activities and trade in illicit goods (such as the import of fake and substandard goods, illegitimate international trade, illegal trade in arms, money laundering, trade in illicit drugs, illegal trade in cultural artifacts, etc.). The Nigeria Customs Service's statutory functions include This circumstance is particularly noteworthy when one considers the permeability of the Nigerian borders, which has made it possible for a variety of strategies to be used in order to breach those borders.

 

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

The promotion of necessary political and socio-economic activities, as well as the maintenance of peace and stability in Nigeria, require that borderland activities be subjected to strict supervision and regulation. Nevertheless, the porous borders of Nigeria continue to engender borderline crime and instability in the sub-regions. This is due to the absence of an appropriate mechanism for monitoring movements and illegal activities across these borders. Consequently, the porous borders continue to be a source of instability. Criminal actions along the border plainly undermine good governance and security, and these activities have detrimental effects not just on the rule of law but also on economic activity and other spheres of society. In keeping with this, Olatunji (2019) made the observation that despite the closing of Nigeria's borders, smugglers are frantically seeking new means of getting contraband into the nation via border settlements that are near to the frontiers. Although the federal government did take a decisive step toward ridding the country of the activities of smugglers, residents of border communities as well as smugglers devised new ways to beat security checkpoints around the borderlands. This was despite the fact that the federal government did take a decisive step. According to the findings that were uncovered by Daud(2019), some of the people involved in smuggling have resorted to paying bribes in order to get by the majority of the checkpoints that have been set up between nations that are nearby. Those who were unable to pay bribes resorted to various methods, such as pretending to be pregnant, concealing sacks of grains in mounds of garments, and storing illegal gasoline within caskets, among other things.

In addition, the agents of the Nigerian customs office found that several trucks had been constructed specifically for the purpose of smuggling contraband rather than for transferring petrol. Some of them used to be packed to the brim with illegal items on their way to Lagos (Daud, 2019). In addition, some people who smuggle goods try to take advantage of the compassion of the border security agents by creating the appearance that they are mourning the loss of a loved one. During the time that they were concealing things inside of trucks that were being utilized to deliver sand to building sites. There is no question that the efficiency of borderland security has been impacted as a result of these illicit activities. Hence, the researcher in view of the above seeks to unveil the challenges of criminal antics in borderland security in Ogun State.

1.3 Objectives Of The Study

The overall aim of this study is to critically examine the challenges of criminal antics in borderland security in Ogun State. Hence, the study will be channeled to the following specific objectives;

1. Identify factors influencing borderland crimes in Nigeria
2. Determine the prevalence of criminal antics in Nigeria borderlands.
3. Ascertain the patterns of criminal antics prevalent in Nigeria borderlands.
4. Determine the extent to which those criminal antics has militated effective border security in Nigeria borderlands.

1.4 Research Question

The study will be guided by the following questions;

1. What are factors influencing borderland crimes in Nigerian borders?
2. To what extent is criminal antics prevalent in Nigeria borderlands?
3. What are the patterns of criminal antics prevalent in Nigeria borderlands?
4. What is the extent to which those criminal antics has militated effective border security in Nigeria borderlands?

1.5 Significance Of The Study

This study will be most important and useful to the Nigeria custom service. The study will enlighten them more on the unique antics utilized by individuals and group of persons in smuggling goods across the borderlands. The study will further educate them more on the need to abstain from bribery and other unprofessional activities which promotes criminal activities in the borders.

Additionally, subsequent researchers will use it as literature review. This means that, other students who may decide to conduct studies in this area will have the opportunity to use this study as available literature that can be subjected to critical review. Invariably, the result of the study contributes immensely to the body of academic knowledge with regards to the challenges of criminal antics in borderland security in Ogun State.

1.7 Limitation Of The Study

Like in every human endeavour, the researcher encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size. More so, the researcher simultaneously engaged in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.

Moreover, the case study method utilized in the study posed some challenges to the investigator including the possibility of biases and poor judgment of issues. However, the investigator relied on respect for the general principles of procedures, justice, fairness, objectivity in observation and recording, and weighing of evidence to overcome the challenges.

1.8 Definition Of Terms

Borderlands are districts near the line separating two countries or areas.

Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people.

Criminal Antics: these are techniques and tricks used by individuals or group of persons to smuggle goods in the borderlands.

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