Understanding Regional Variations in Political Violence Victimisation in Nigeria

Abstract

Political violence has been part of Nigeria's history such that even to date, major political processes are still characterized by violence. However, most studies have focused on the causes of political violence, with little emphasis on the vulnerability to political violence victimisation. Using the data from  Afrobarometer survey that comprised of  1,568 adults, this study investigated the prevalence of political violence victimisation, associated factors and variations between the Northern and Southern regions in Nigeria. Linear regression models were fitted to understand the influence of gender, age, poverty, presence of security apparatus, political participation, party affiliation and social group membership on political violence victimisation across the two regions in Nigeria. The study found that the experience of political violence was higher in the South than in the North. Age, poverty, security presence, political participation, social group membership, and party affiliation were statistically associated with the experience of political violence. In the North, women had a higher likelihood of experiencing political violence than men (β = 0.077, p<0.05), but the reverse was the case in the South (β = -0.071, p<0.05). The frequency of participating in demonstrations or protest marches significantly increased the likelihood of political violence victimisation only in the South (β = 0.109, p<0.01), while the frequency of engaging in collective actions was positively associated with the experience of political violence only in the North (β = 0.118, p<0.05). The study submits that the two regions have notable differences that must be considered when formulating security policies in Nigeria.