An Assessment Of The Activities Of Kalare In Political Violence In Gombe State, Nigeria

Abstract:

This paper assessed the factors responsible for the recent changes in the role of kalare from hunting group to political thuggery in Gombe metropolis, and the effects on the citizens of Gombe metropolis. In order to get these results,  The sampling technique employed a “combination of “purposive” and snowball Jekadafari, Bolari, Kagarawal, Bogo and Tudun-wada in Gombe metropolis were carefully chosen as a focus of this research in order to reflect the area where the activities of Kalare are more pronounced in Gombe. Also the same wards were used in sampling the views of the general public because being the area where the activities of Kalare are more pronounced they are in a better position to comment on the activities of kalare group. A Total of 385 respondents were selected. The research discovered that the Kalare were hunters before they joined Kalare activities due to unemployment among the youths in Gombe. The major sponsors of Kalare activities in Gombe state was discovered to be the individual aspirants, political parties and the government in power which is the PDP. This research concluded that unemployment is the major factors responsible for Kalare activities in Gombe state, while lack of scholarship for those who finished their secondary school in Gombe had contributed to youth in joining the Kalare activities. Based on the above findings and conclusions, the following are some of the recommendations. The government should create more job opportunities for the youth through vocational training, establishment of some companies and agricultural loan which will encourage the youth to go into agriculture and also vocational training tools and loan should be given to them to establish their own workshop. Both state and federal legislature should enact a law that will ban any aspirants from contesting any post if found using Kalare and the related groups in his/her campaign. Scholarship should be given to those who have the requirement for higher education and anybody found to be guilty of election related misconduct should be dealt with without interference by the executive or aspirants.