THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF KIDNAPPING AND BANDITRY: ASSESSING THE EFFECTS, STATE RESPONSES, SUCCESS AND CHALLENGES IN NORTHWEST NIGERIA

Abstract

This study looks at the political economies of kidnapping and banditry in Northwest Nigeria. It examines the demographic, economic and governance consequences of these crises. It also assesses the responses of the Nigerian state, their successes and the structural challenges that remain to hamper effective security governance. A qualitative research design is employed and the secondary data used are peer-reviewed scholarship, government reports, and security assessments from 2019 to 2025. The analysis is based on three theoretical frameworks: Relative Deprivation Theory, Greed and Grievance Theory, and the Weak State Framework. The results indicate that kidnappings and banditry in the Northwest are not a random phenomenon of criminality. They are deeply entrenched in complex political economies of illegal resource exploitation, bad governance, arms smuggling and complicity among elites. The states' responses have been fragmented, weak and lacking in socioeconomic reform elements. The research finds that for the Northwest to be secure in the long term, military operations, institutional change, developmental investment and regional cooperation must all occur at once.