CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN GOMBE METROPOLIS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0    Introduction
The  topic  of  the  study;  Causes  and  effects  of  political  violence  in  Gombe metropolis. And the purpose of this first chapter is to outline the background of the study, statement of the problem, research questions, objectives of the research, scope of the study and definition of basic terms and concepts .
1.1 Background of study
Political violence  refers  to  all collective  attacks  within  a  political community against the political regime, its actors- including competing political groups as well as incumbents or its policies (Halliru, 2013).
According to Millington (2007), from confrontations during strikes to the street battles of extremist groups, violence was a feature of interwar European politics, as countries  entered  an  age  of  mass  politics,  governments  searched  for  ways  to integrate their peoples into the political system. He stressed that, yet violence as a means  of  political  expression  and  engagement  persisted,  even  in  democratic nations (Millington, 2007). Violent political conflict preceded the establishment of fascist regimes in Italy and Germany, and civil war in Spain, in Eastern Europe, the collapse of empire and  the founding of new nation-states  gave rise to  violent
political struggle, in France and Britain, street fighting and rioting raised fears over the breakdown of order in the western democracies (Millington, 2007).
More so, according to Human Security Report Oxford university (2005) out of 30 major political violence recorded in 2000, there were 23 civil wars, of which ten were in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). These wars are estimated to have resulted in over four million deaths and have cost the countries in question more than $138 billion (in 1995 prices). However, by the turn of the 21st  century, Sub-Saharan Africa has  become the most violent region, accounting for more battle -related deaths than all other regions combined (Human Security Centre, 2005).
From the  years  1999  Nigeria  witnessed  an  unprecedented  increase  in  acts  of political violence across  the country arising from the formation of ethnic  and political militia, such as Oduduwa People Congress (OPC), in the South-West of Nigeria, ECOMOG in Borno State, Kalare in Gombe State, and Sara – Suka in Bauchi State among others (Umar, 2003).  Furthermore, Individual politicians and groups (political parties and ethnic group formations) have in unequivocal terms demonstrated their readiness to employ violence to achieve their personal goals (Umar,  2003).  This  state  of  affairs  has  caused  an  ominous  cloud  over  the sustenance of democracy and  raised  concerns  over the future of Nigeria as  a political entity (Umar, 2003).
Since the advent of civilian rule in 1999, Gombe State has experienced quite a number of political violence due largely to the involvement of Kalare into political activities  (Umar, 2003). In 2003  Kalare activities  virtually became part of the electoral process in the state making electoral campaign and voting as a battle ground where Kalare are used to harass, intimidate, assassinate and deter Political opponent during  electoral campaign and  Voting of candidates  of their choices (Umar,2003).
However, there is a war plan of Governor Dankwambo to eliminate the menace of kalare in the state will not only be confined to the application of force (security agencies), but other alternative social measures are considered; The Governor als o stated in his inauguration speech that a lot of packages await those that renounce their membership of the group, one of them is the establishment of skill acquisition centers across the state (Aliyu, 2011).
As cruel as Kalare is, all its members are automatic social destitute once election is over  and  politicians  are  sworn  in  (Aliyu,  2011).  However,  the  government employed  those  renounced  kalare  youth  as  gate  keepers  of  ministries  and parastatals  and  Government houses  with stipends  ranges  from 18000 to  23000 (Aliyu, 2011).
Also according to Hamagam (2011), the Police Inspector General also expressed willingness to hold consultations with judiciary in the country to ensure that any political violator convicted must serve the jail term so as to serve as deterrent to others, and he further stated announced plans to hold a meeting with political party leaders  to  caution  against  the  use  of  thugs  during  political activities  towards finding lasting solution (Hamagam, 2011).
The main focus of this study is the causes of political violence, the victims of political violence (which are usually the youths) and its socio -economic effects on its victims in Gombe metropolis.
1.2 Statement of the problems
According to Aikor (2007), persons within the age range of twelve to thirty years are dependent on their parents for survival. They are poor, and they constitute the powerless, jobless, and unemployed and so can be easily manipulated by the elite. All these conditions results to making them vulnerable to many social vices like crime, political violence. Therefore, in view of their poverty, they only serve as steady army for the powerful politicians  that use them to  create havoc on the political system especially during elections and pay them very meager amount of money and this in Gombe metropolis is not an exception. Political violence (kalare activities) in Gombe had become a tool of winning political seats over the years. It is  mostly used  by some selfish politicians  and  most political parties  to  violet electoral processes in pursue of their political gains.
* MSC SOCIOLOGY