FES December 2021 Policy Brief Photo Credit: TV Sense Introduction I n the light of recent security developments in various regions of Nigeria, it is safe to assert that Nigeria is faced with a myriad of mul dimensional security challenges, which pose threats to the country's na onal security. These security challenges are complex in nature and con nually impact all the country's socioeconomic development. Consequently, na onal security, public safety and criminal jus ce space has been impacted by these security challenges. To further disaggregate the insecurity mosaic into specific regional contexts, the conflict in North­East Nigeria is now in its 11th year with over 7.1 million people affected 1 . The ac vi es of the Boko Haram insurgency have taken a new dimension with the emergence and ac vi es of the splinter group that is aligned with the Islamic State, known as the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) 2 . ISWAP's strength lies in crea ng a reliable ecosystem used to exert control and strong influence over the economy, jus ce, educa on, and security, including taxa on of local communi es. The United Na ons described ISWAP's a ack on rice farmers in Jere, Borno state, as the most violent direct a ack against civilians in 2020 3 . Other reports have also hinted that the internal power dynamics between Boko Haram and ISWAP may result in a stronger ISWAP force, as some Boko Haram fighters that had previously fled due to the onslaught by the Nigerian military on the terrorist groups in the region are returning to join the ISWAP group. It is important to consider that porous borders and extant ECOWAS freedom of movement protocols have significantly affected the security in the North-east region, thus aiding transna onal terrorist and other criminal ac vi es. In the North-west, criminals loosely referred to as 'armed bandits' have resorted to the kidnapping of ci zens for economic gains, especially school children, making alarming ransom demands and opera ng with li le or no resistance from the security agencies. Between June 2011 and March 1 h ps://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/nigeria-humanitarian-response-strategy-2019-2021-january-2019-december-2021-december 2 h ps://africacenter.org/spotlight/nigeria-diverse-security-threats/ 3 h ps://www.hrw.org/news/2020/12/01/gruesome-boko-haram-killings-northeast-nigeria 2