CONSEQUENCES OF INSECURITY ON CULTURAL HERITAGE OF TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN CHAD BASIN REGION

Abstract

This paper focuses on the insecurity and its encounters with the cultural heritage of
traditional institutions in the Chad Basin Region. It assesses the destructions carried out by
insurgents on palaces in Borno, and Yobe States, Nigeria. This paper use qualitative
method of primary and secondary method in gathering its data for the study. Insecurity
on Cultural Heritage ruined the entire Chad Basin from 2009 to date. In Nigeria, it
started in Maiduguri but soon spread out to Chad Basin Region; Cameroon, Chad, and
Niger were also affected by the insurgents. Borno and the Yobe States located in Nigeria
are good examples where the destruction of Cultural Heritage as collateral damage in
the cause of the insecurity was prominent. Throughout this period, a great deal of
Cultural Heritage, such as the concrete building of Palaces, Mosques, Cultural Objects,
the Cultural landscape, were destroyed. Palaces in Bama, Gwoza, Askira and Dikwa in
Borno State, Gujba and Gaidam in Yobe State took over by Non-governmental armed
groups whereby the insurgents destroyed beautiful painting, arrangement of rooms,
artefacts, and cultural objects. Chiefs and Emirs, the custodians of Cultural Heritage,
were chased away from their Palaces and occupied by a non-governmental armed
group. The question of social activities with colourful attires and horses during
ceremonies, Sallah or entertaining dignitaries were no more. Social order between the
people of this area has changed since the emergence of insecurity. These insecurities
showed the international community that Chad Basin Region is not a secure and safe place
suitable for tourism. The paper recommends that the traditional institutions, government
and general public take measures to arrest the feature occurrences of such menace.