Michael Eneyo's Fearological Approach to Banditry, Boko Haram and Environmental Security in Nigeria

Banditry, Boko Haram insurgency and other forms of terrorism remain major threats to peace, security, environmental sustainability and national development in Nigeria. Conventional responses have largely emphasized military operations, intelligence gathering, arrests, prosecutions and deradicalization programmes. Despite these efforts, insecurity persists in many parts of the country, suggesting the need for complementary approaches that address the psychological, relational and social dimensions of violent extremism. This paper applies Michael Eneyo’s Fearological framework to Nigeria’s banditry and Boko Haram crises. While conventional security studies often frame insurgency as ideological, economic or criminal, Fearological Ethics reframes violence as a response to misunderstood and manipulated existential fear. The paper argues that Boko Haram and bandit recruitment are sustained by fear of cultural extinction, fear of state abandonment and fear of the Other. It further shows that fearology can shift security practice from eliminating fear to understanding fear, from individual fear to relational fear, and from force-centred responses to systemic fear reduction. These shifts can improve Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration outcomes, intelligence sharing, community trust and civil-military relations. The article proposes a fear-reduction pillar to complement Nigeria’s kinetic strategy and offers policy recommendations for security institutions. The paper contributes to decolonizing security studies by centering an African philosophical approach to conflict resolution and environmental security.