Social Violence and Communal Conflict Amidst Covid-19 Pandemic: A Focus on Erei North and South Communities of Biase Local Government Area, Cross River State

Abstract

Modern-day Nigeria has multifarious challenges: Gender, social violence, communal conflict, poverty, hunger, illiteracy, corruption, bad leadership, infrastructure gaps, political upheavals, fiscal indiscipline, unemployment, anger on the streets, etc. Perhaps, the greatest concern to the average citizen is insecurity. The spate of conflict (political violent, economic or social) appears insurmountable to frustrated citizens. At the slightest provocation, aggrieved groups, persons or even state apparatus resort to violence. Consequently, insecurity and violence are opposing forces to development. A population under a constant deluge of violence accepts it, as a way of life: Brute or cruel force is viewed as superior to dialogue. Domestic and communal conflict or social violence negates economic activities, farming activities, educational activities, discourages investors, leads to capital flight and reduced investment and high unemployment. The citizenry views spontaneous force or attack as superior to dialogue. It is an intractable cyclic circle of woe. The fallouts from the level of violence and insecurity in Nigeria especially in the Erei north and Erei south communities in Biase LGA Cross River State encapsulated in the emergence of internal displacements of large populations. Undoubtedly, in Nigeria displacements are a direct result of academic, political, social, economic and environmental disruptions, i.e. insecurity occasioned by social, gender base violence, communal conflict, banditry, and criminal violence as in cattle rusting, kidnapping, armed robbery. Today, Nigeria being a land of diversity, with people of different groups and communities with divergent customs, norms, values, taboos, ethnic and political fault lines which periodically can lead to frequent clashes resulting from economic – socio-cultural and political demands is an endowed country. The purpose of the study was to examine gender; social violence and communal conflict and the need for national development in the light of its academic activities. Data was collected from six respondents selected from ten political wards in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. The Pearson product moment correlation was used to test the hypothesis. The result revealed a significant relationship between gender, social violence and communal conflict and the need for national development in the light of academic activities. It is recommended that effective conflict resolution should be adopted by the village heads of the affected communities in Biase Local Government Area and the Government as a whole if we must experience national development.