Borno State Civilian Joint Task Force and Community Safety

Abstract

This study examined the influence of the Borno State Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) on community safety in Borno State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the effect of intelligence gathering and information sharing on the reduction of crime and insurgency, assessed the influence of community surveillance and patrol on public perception of safety, determined the effect of community mobilization and participation on social stability and peaceful coexistence, and identified the operational challenges facing the CJTF in enhancing community safety. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The study population comprised CJTF members, security personnel, community leaders, and residents of selected Local Government Areas in Borno State. A sample of 345 respondents was selected using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) sample size determination table and a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics to answer the research questions, while simple linear regression was used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance with SPSS Version 29. The findings revealed that intelligence gathering and information sharing significantly reduced crime and insurgency community surveillance and patrol significantly improved public perception of safety, and community mobilization and participation significantly enhanced social stability and peaceful coexistence. The study also identified inadequate funding, poor logistics, insufficient training, inadequate welfare, and security threats as major operational challenges facing the CJTF. The study concluded that the CJTF contributes significantly to community safety and recommended improved funding, continuous training, enhanced welfare, provision of modern security equipment, and a comprehensive legal framework to strengthen its effectiveness and sustainability.