Analysis of Genocide and Insurgency in Northern Nigeria

ABSTRACT War is gradually taking the front burner in international politics. In some case peaceful resolution of a crisis is possible and fully exploited to achieve peace and order in a state. However, where such attempt to resolve crisis fails, skirmishes and clashes may snowball into war. The impact of war on human population has invariably been sanguinary, devastating and catastrophic. Sometimes, the population of a nation is completely extirpated through bloody massacre geared towards the complete extermination of a group in a state. Irrespective of the fact that such massacre occur in war situations, it is still considered to be a crime in the International Criminal Law. This is called genocide.In Nigeria, the Northern region has become a flashpoint of violent clashes. The region has been deeply enmeshed and suffused in political and ethno-religious conflicts characterized by genocidal attacks, bombing, maiming and killings of several persons, loss of business investments, and properties worth several billions of naira. Within the space of eleven years, several violent political ethno-religious conflicts have been reported in Northern Nigeria and all efforts to restore peace have not achieved the desired end. This dissertation examines the International Criminal Law on the crime of genocide with a view to establishing what significance, if any, the International Criminal Law on genocide has for Nigeria and other African countries. The methodology adopted in this work is descriptive, analytic and illustrative. The work describes what constitute the offence of genocide and analyses the principles of International Criminal Law on it. It also illustrates genocide by giving instances where genocide has occurred in the past. The main source of data for the work includes statute, case law, books and article written by pundits in the area of study. The result of the study shows that there is no serious commitment in International Criminal Law to ameliorate the commission of the crime of genocide. Worst still, there is no law of genocide in Nigeria and other African countries yet and recommends the need to fill this lacuna.