Mysticism and The Social Construction of Armed Actors in South East, Nigeria

• Author(s): Dorcas Ilode Otto; Kialee Nyiayaana
• Paper ID: 1718393
• Page: 5109-5116
• Published Date: 02-06-2026
• Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
• Publisher: IRE Journals
• e-ISSN: 2456-8880
• Volume/Issue: Volume 9 Issue 11 May-2026

Abstract

Armed actors in South-East Nigeria have become increasingly central to the region’s security landscape, ranging from vigilante groups to separatist militias and the so-called “unknown gunmen” often emerging in response to perceived state failure, and ethnic identity politics. While this study agrees with these assertions, there is limited literature on the constructivist perspective that underpins the legitimacy of local armed actors as alternative systems of protection and justice. This study therefore, examines mysticism as cognitive and symbolic systems through which communities assign legitimacy and meaning to armed actors in South East, Nigeria. The theoretical justification was Harold Garfinkel’s theory of ethnomethodology. Adopting an ethnographic approach, qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with 20 participants across Abia, Anambra, and Imo States, and analysed thematically using ethnographic content analysis. Findings reveal that mysticism operates as an ambivalent interpretive framework. While spiritual beliefs confer legitimacy and moral authority on certain actors, especially in contexts of weak State institutions, these belief systems are simultaneously contested and vulnerable to manipulation by elites and criminal actors. Additionally, the “unknown gunmen” label functions as a narrative tool that obscures accountability and shapes insecurity perceptions. The study recommends that security policies should avoid indiscriminate targeting of cultural practices, align interventions with local belief systems, disrupt elite networks exploiting such narratives, and strengthen accountability within State security institutions.

Citations

IRE Journals:
Dorcas Ilode Otto, Kialee Nyiayaana "Mysticism and The Social Construction of Armed Actors in South East, Nigeria" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 9 Issue 11 2026 Page 5109-5116 https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718393

IEEE:
Dorcas Ilode Otto, Kialee Nyiayaana "Mysticism and The Social Construction of Armed Actors in South East, Nigeria" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 9(11) https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718393