The State and Insecurity in Industrial Host Communities in Nigeria: The Case of Obajana, Kogi State

Abstract

This study examines the dynamics of insecurity and the failures of state-led security governance in Obajana, an industrial host community in Kogi State, Nigeria. Drawing on the Public Goods Theory (PGT), the study investigates the persistence of insecurity in contexts where the state fails to ensure the equitable provision of security. A qualitative research design was adopted, relying exclusively on Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with twelve (12) purposively selected participants drawn from six stakeholder categories: police officers, vigilante group members, Dangote Cement Plc staff, community leaders, youth leaders, and residents. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling techniques to ensure the inclusion of information-rich respondents with relevant knowledge and experience of the security situation in Obajana. The findings reveal that kidnapping for ransom is the most pervasive and alarming security threat, driven by weak state presence and inadequate preventive security measures. State security responses remain largely reactive, while community vigilante groups operate under precarious conditions, constrained by limited institutional support, inadequate resources, and weak formal recognition. The study recommends strengthening policing capacity, institutionalizing community vigilante structures, enhancing intelligence gathering and sharing, regulating migration into the community, depoliticizing security governance, and fostering stronger collaboration among the state, the community, and the private sector to promote sustainable peace and security in Obajana