Analytical Examination of the Correlation Between Corruption and Insecurity in North Central Nigeria

Corruption in security sector governance is widely hypothesised to enable and perpetuate insecurity by diverting security resources, weakening accountability, and facilitating criminal and insurgent actors, but the specific mechanisms and magnitude of this relationship in North Central Nigeria have not been analytically examined. This study analytically examined the correlation between governance corruption indicators and security outcomes in Plateau, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Niger, and Kwara States, North Central Nigeria, from 2017 to 2022. A mixed-methods analytical design was employed, combining secondary data analysis of state-level corruption indicators from the CISLAC Nigeria Corruption Index, NPF crime statistics, and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission case records with structured interviews with 18 security sector governance specialists, 8 civil society anti-corruption monitors, and 6 state legislators with security oversight responsibilities. Regression analysis of panel data showed a significant negative relationship between corruption governance scores and security outcomes across all states (beta = -0.52, p < 0.001). Herder-farmer conflict intensity showed the strongest corruption correlation, attributed to security force corruption enabling arms traffic. The qualitative analysis identified three specific corruption-insecurity mechanisms: diversion of security deployment funds, collusion between security personnel and criminal actors, and impunity for documented violations. The study provides an original analytical contribution to North Central security governance scholarship and recommends anti-corruption conditionality in security funding allocation and mandatory prosecution of security sector corruption cases. Keywords: corruption, insecurity, security governance, North Central Nigeria, analytical criminology