Abstract

The minimum requirements of a social contract are supposed to be delivered by the State especially one in which democracy and good governance hold sway Nigeria has never had this and certain social political and economic indicators predispose scholars and observers to speculate that Nigeria is destined for classification as a failed state It has however been affirmed that the primary justification for the state is its role as the guarantor of last resort of the personal safety liberty and property of the citizen A state that cannot or does not perform this function has no reason to exist It can be arguably said that no other time since the civil war era has the Nigerian state been seriously engulfed in perennial security challenges that threaten the very foundation of the country than now This essay discusses the trends dimensions and manifestations of insecurity in Nigeria It interrogates the Boko Haram terrorism in some parts of the country and how it largely reflects failure of governance in the polity