Influence of Social Identity, Justice Perceptions and Moral Solidarity on Citizen’s Cooperation against Terrorism in Nigeria

Abstract

The influence of social identity, perceptions of justice and moral solidarity on citizen’s cooperation in combating crime and terrorism in Nigeria was investigated in this study. Data were collected from two-hundred and forty-four (244) senior secondary students of the International School, University of Ibadan through the captive (convenient) classroom procedure. Results of analysis of covariance showed that moral solidarity and justice perceptions were significantly related to, and predicted, cooperation to fight terrorism. Social identity however did not show any impressive relationship with citizen’s cooperation in combating crime and terrorism. The results also showed no gender difference in citizens’ cooperation to combat crime and terrorism. The result implied that cooperation to fight crime and terrorism may depend in one part, on the meaningfulness of justice to people whose sensibilities and views of justice have, in the infancy, been distorted by senseless terrorist conflicts and threats to meaningful life; and in another part on peoples’ perception of what
constitutes the good life. It was, therefore, important that co-ordinated synergies between government and other social agencies be strengthened as a way of evolving a sociallyrewarding and stable society regulated by strong values, fibrous family ties and economically beneficial routes of self-development capable of drawing the citizenry into a vanguard of patriots who will find no attraction in prejudice, crime and related criminal and terrorist activities.