SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF VICTIMS OF TERRORISM AND THEIR COPING STRATEGIES IN ZARIA METROPOLIS, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF VICTIMS OF TERRORISM AND THEIR COPING STRATEGIES IN ZARIA METROPOLIS, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract:

This research is a Sociological Study of Victims of Terrorism and their Coping Strategies in Zaria Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria. It examines the harm caused by terrorism, the social and economic effects of terrorism on the individual victims and institutions, the social support systems for victims and the coping strategies of victims of terrorism in Zaria metropolis. The study adopted the Adaptation Theory was to provide theoretical orientation to the study in view of its ability to adequately explain social, economic and related psychological dislocations suffered by victims of terrorism. Data for this work were collected through primary and secondary sources. Primary data were obtained from direct victims of terrorism as well as Police Officers, community and religious leaders. The qualitative research method adopted in this study allowed the target participants to respond to the inquiry by sharing their views and feeling on the research questions and objectives of the study. The data were obtained through in-depth interview (IDI) and Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Respondents in the In-depth were selected through purposive sampling and Snow ball methods. Thirty five direct victims, six religious leaders, four Police Officers and two traditional rulers making a total of forty seven were selected for the in-depth Interview using purposive sampling method and Snowball technique. Eighty discussants comprising of forty males and forty females were selected for ten sessions of the Focus Group Discussion through the assistance of contact people in the affected areas. The demographic attributes of respondents were tabulated and analyzed using method of proportion/simple percentages (%). Data obtained were analyzed using qualitative method of data analysis. Data obtained in Hausa and Arabic were translated into English language. This was to ensure that all the relevant items in the schedules were covered. Secondary data which include Police Records/signals, church records, newspapers and hospital records were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings shows that the toll of terrorism indicates nine terrorist attacks resulting to two hundred and nine deaths, four hundred and fifty injuries of various degrees and destruction of properties worth three hundred and sixty nine million, seven hundred thousand naira (N 369, 700, 000:00). The study equally identified key psychological, social, security and economic effects of terrorism on the victims and institutions in the study area. Findings show that victims of terrorism in the study area were initially supported by government (both the State and Local Governments), religious bodies, some politicians and immediate family members of the affected persons. The victims of terrorism adopted different coping strategies to survive the tragedy brought upon them by terrorism. These coping strategies include migration to other parts of the metropolis, health seeking behaviour, begging and solicitation and going back to their former means of survival as steps taken to overcome the unfortunate experience. In view of the above the study recommends that the people in Zaria Metropolis should be law abiding. Government should as a matter of urgency settle medical bills of victims and refund those who shoulder their medical expenses. Secondly, government should do a forensic audit of the items of victims so destroyed in the attacks and compensate the affected individuals and bodies. On the long run, youths unemployment should be seriously looked into by the government. Employment generation for the teeming population should be more aggressively pursued as a matter of priority by government at all levels. If more youths are employed, it automatically depletes the army of youths available for recruitment into various anti-social activities. Finally, individual and corporate victims of terrorism should receive fair, appropriate and timely compensation from the government.

SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF VICTIMS OF TERRORISM AND THEIR COPING STRATEGIES IN ZARIA METROPOLIS, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA