A PURVIEW OF THE CAUSES OF YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN ARMED BANDITRY IN KADUNA STATE, NORTH WESTERN NIGERIA (2012-2022)

Abstract

The work is a sociological inquisition of the causes of youth involvement in
armed banditry in Kaduna State (2012-2022). The following research objectives guided the
study: investigate the socio-economic factors responsible for youth involvement in armed
banditry in Kaduna State; determine the institutional lapses in governance responsible for youth
involvement in armed banditry; and analyse the government’s poor policy formulation and
implementation responsible for youth involvement in armed banditry in the study area. The
study was anchored on the Routine Activities Theory by Cohen and Felson. Using a multi-
stage sampling of cluster, stratified and simple random sampling, 1000 residents of the affected
communities were administered questionnaires. In addition, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs)
and In-depth Interviews were purposively conducted with members of the Nigeria Police Force
(NPF), vigilantes, traditional leaders, youth leaders and arrested bandits. The quantitative data
from the use of questionnaires were analysed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS) version 23.0 with descriptive statistics and Principal Factor Analysis (PFA). The study
revealed that all the 10 variables given as socio-economic factors were responsible for youth
involvement in armed banditry in the State. This was because the Bartlett’s test of sphericity
χ2(75) = 4904.270 for the socio-economic factors was statistically significant at P < 0.01.
Additionally, the study revealed that though 10 socio-economic variables were responsible for
youth involvement in armed banditry in the State, the abuse of hard drugs had the highest factor
loading value with 0.92. In contrast, peer influence had the second highest factor loading value
with 0.91. The study further revealed that although 7 variables were given as the institutional
lapses in governance that resulted in youth involvement in armed banditry in the State, all the
seven variables identified were retained. Also, the Bartlett’s test of sphericity χ2 (21) =
4904.270 for the factors was statistically significant at P< 0.01. At the same time, the
diminishing role of traditional institutions in the governance of Kaduna State had the highest
factor loading value of 0.79. More so, inadequate policing and weak security arrangements of
the State came second with 0.78 factor loading. The study recommended that the Federal and
State governments in the State must ensure that they minimized the abuse of hard drugs, youth
unemployment, and poverty and reduce the ungoverned spaces in the State.