International records / OpenAlex research

Exploring the Symbolic Erosion of the Nigerian State Security: A Case Study of Elite Victimizations in the Northwest

Northwest Nigeria has emerged as the epicenter of a deepening security crisis, with armed banditry and kidnapping-for-ransom evolving from rural criminality into a sophisticated political economy of violence. While the human toll on farming communities has been extensively documented, less attention has been paid to the symbolic dimensions of elite victimisation the abduction of retired generals, traditional rulers, politicians, and religious leaders. This study examines how the targeting of high -status ind ividuals constitutes a symbolic erosion of state security, undermining the state’s mon…