Food terrorism in Nigeria: Fears, possibilities and action

Abstract

The September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, the subsequent anthrax follow-up and the US embassy attacks in Kenya not only demonstrated the extent of the possibilities of terrorist attacks on both the weak and strong and even the most sophisticated security conscious of nations, but also the extent, methods and forms to which the perpetrators can employ to make their statement or achieve their objectives. These and other events around the world reflect the emerging typologies of the phenomenon in the contemporary times. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently raised fears of a high likelihood, in the future, of food terrorism or an incident of unintentional food contamination that would result in serious food borne illness that would affect a significant number of people. The question then is, since no country is isolated in international politics and bearing in mind the symbolic nature of most terrorist acts; what are the possibilities of such attacks on Nigeria's food supply and what are the emergency response capabilities of the country in such occurrences. The geopolitics of Nigeria and her status as the most populous black nation in the world as well as the inherent religious intolerance in her domestic politics in particular Maitasina riot, Bokoharam disturbances and Talakuta riot are all pointers to the precarious position of the country on the terrorist drawing board. This work analyzes the possibilities of food terrorism in Nigeria. It examines the factors that heighten the susceptibility of the country to such attacks and evaluates the country's emergency response capabilities in the face of such reality. The paper argues that just as other countries have learnt from the US experience, that Nigeria should also perfect her strategies to counter or manage such eventualities.