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Enclaves of Banditry: Ungoverned Forest Spaces and Cattle Rustling in Northern Nigeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2020

Ifeanyi Onwuzuruigbo Open the ORCID record for Ifeanyi Onwuzuruigbo [Opens in a new window]
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Abstract

Parts of northern Nigeria are becoming enclaves of banditry for gangs of cattle rustlers who maraud largely ungoverned forests. Extant studies of banditry shy away from serious interrogation of cattle rustling and ungoverned forest spaces in northern Nigeria. Onwuzuruigbo investigates the connection between cattle rustling and ungoverned forest spaces, highlighting the role of criminal groups in creating their own governance structures. The upswing in cattle rustling may thus be attributed to poor forest governance, which effectively keeps the government and its agents away from forests. Inclusive forest governance is one path toward addressing cattle rustling in northern Nigeria.

Résumé

Résumé

Certaines régions du nord du Nigeria deviennent des enclaves de banditisme pour des gangs de voleurs de bétail qui maraudent des forêts en grande partie non gouvernées. Les études existantes sur le banditisme évitent tout interrogatoire sérieux sur le vol de bétail et les espaces forestiers non gouvernés dans le nord du Nigeria. Onwuzuruigbo étudie le lien entre le vol de bétail et les espaces forestiers non gouvernés, soulignant le rôle des groupes criminels dans la création de leurs propres structures de gouvernance. La hausse du vol de bétail peut donc être attribuée à une mauvaise gouvernance forestière qui maintient efficacement à distance des forêts le gouvernement et ses représentants. La gouvernance forestière inclusive est donc un moyen de lutter contre le vol de bétail dans le nord du Nigéria.

Resumo

Resumo

Várias parcelas do território da Nigéria setentrional estão a transformar-se em enclaves de banditismo, dominados por gangues de salteadores de gado dedicados a saquear as florestas, onde em grande medida não existe um sistema de gestão pública. Até hoje, os estudos sobre banditismo têm evitado debruçar-se em profundidade sobre o roubo de gado e os espaços florestais fora da alçada efetiva do governo, no norte da Nigéria. Neste artigo, Onwuzuruigbo perscruta as ligações entre o roubo de gado e os espaços florestais onde não se verifica um sistema de gestão pública, sublinhando o papel dos grupos de criminosos na criação das suas próprias estruturas de governação. O aumento do roubo de gado pode, portanto, ser atribuído à gestão pública deficitária das florestas, em que o governo e os seus agentes se mantêm alheios a estes espaços. Investir numa gestão inclusiva das florestas é, pois, uma via para combater o roubo de gado na Nigéria setentrional.

Keywords

cattle rustlingcrimeforestsgovernanceNigeria
Type
Article
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 64 , Issue 1 , March 2021 , pp. 168 - 191
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the African Studies Association

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