Trans-Border Crimes and Joint Security Provisioning in Nigeria-Benin Republic Border Corridor in Okerete, Saki, Oyo State

In a bid by various governments to ensure the safety of lives and properties, Territories and State survival from any form of danger, physical or moral aggression hence resolve into a social contract to ensure safety. Meanwhile, security has been considered as a first-order value to all responsive political elite in the state. But at this Nigeria-Benin border corridor (Okerete), for more than three decades now there was relatively little work on how emerging trans-border crimes and level of security provision threatening the existence of immediate communities of this corridor and national sovereignty at large. This paper, therefore, examined the nature and settings in Okerete border corridor, the common crimes perpetrated, the level of joint security provisioning along this border corridor. Using data collected largely from primary sources such as an in-depth interview with stakeholders such as villagers, farmers, transporters, Nigeria Police, and The Nigeria Immigration Service at Okerete border, Saki, Oyo State and secondary source from diverse literature. Findings revealed that apart from major multi-smuggling and trafficking in the corridor, the minor crimes that are grave to corridor settlers are robbery/stealing, abduction/kidnapping, nomadic-farmer clashes and custom-smugglers clashes. The study also shows that the strength of security provision at this Nigeria-Benin border corridor (Okerete) was at the lowest ebb thereby encourages trans-border and border criminalities in this area. The study concludes that this forgotten (Okerete) international border, should be given a pragmatic security approach that will secure the lives and properties of the settlers. This paper recommends the need to build more border surveillance posts, erection of fences and engage local communities towards solving the problem.