DEMOCRACY AND NATIONAL SECURITY DILEMMA IN THE NIGERIAN FOURTH REPUBLIC

Democracy and national security dilemma is a paper, which exposes the problem of security in Nigerian democratic experiments, which since May 1999 has turn communities who have been living together over century into violent contestation, and circle of blood letting. This paper discuses the various modes of insecurities engulfing the citizens in virtually all the nooks and crannies of the country. It examines causes and implication on the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. The author has found out that the tragedy of Nigerian insecurity is intricately related to the action or in action of the state. The state is largely irrelevant to the lives of majority of its citizens with little material benefits, mass unemployment, lack of basic need and aspiration forcing people to traditional safety need including reliance on religion and ethnic group, in desperation the victimized citizens take law in to their own hand as a means of safeguarding their fundamental values from the threat of unacceptable government policies. The ensuing relationship becomes violent prone. The paper argues that unless the policy makers appreciate the values and ethics of democracy in practice peace will remain a mirage in Nigeria.