Leadership Crisis and the Challenges of Ungoverned Spaces in Border Towns of Ogun State: Implications for National Security

This research paper examines the impact of leadership crisis on ungoverned spaces in border towns of Ogun State, Nigeria, and its implications for national security. The study will explore the nature and extent of leadership crisis in these border towns, including the factors that contribute to the emergence and persistence of ungoverned spaces. It will also examine the challenges posed by these ungoverned spaces, including their potential to aggravate conflict, promote criminal activities, and undermine national security. The research will also explore the role of state and non-state actors in addressing the challenges of leadership crisis and ungoverned spaces in these border towns. The research adopted descriptive survey design, using a questionnaire structured on 5-point Likert’s rating scale of 5 – 1 to elicit information from respondents. The data collected, were analysed using SPSS. The tools used are frequency tables and percentage distribution. The findings of this study revealed that the insecurity situations in border towns of Ogun State largely dependent on the failure to control ungoverned spaces leading to high incidences of banditry attacks on farm settlements, villages, highways resulting in kidnapping and unwanted killings. The study recommends that Government at all levels should prioritize security in every nooks and cranny of the states which will in turn discourage activities of criminal elements in ungoverned spaces in Ogun state, the South-West and Nigeria at large, while also addressing the basic livelihood problems of poverty, inequality, and unemployment which has contributed to the problem of insecurity and threat to national security. The study will also have implications for policy and practice, highlighting the need for a more integrated and holistic approach to governance and security in border areas.

KEYWORDS: leadership crisis, ungoverned spaces, border towns, national security, terrorism