Hussaina Shehu
Minna, Niger State, Nigeria — Two months ago, Adamu, a small business owner in the Fadikpe community of Minna, Niger State, celebrated a surge in sales. The recurring power outages had increased demand for his phone-charging service and electronic gadgets. But that success was short-lived.
“That night, it rained heavily. I got home late and just before Subhi prayer, I was called by the muezzin, Abdulsalam, from the mosque opposite my shop,” Adamu said. “He told me something suspicious had happened.”
Rushing to the scene, Adamu was devastated to find his shop had been burgled. Goods worth over ₦500,000 were gone. The perpetrators had used a small child to enter the shop through the ceiling, a tactic not unfamiliar in cases of planned thefts.
“I reported to the police and spent almost ₦20,000 trying to get them to investigate,” he said. “But all I got were more demands. It felt like extortion. Eventually, I gave up.”
A Deeper Problem: Youth Restiveness and Neglect
Behind the spike in theft is a broader issue of youth restiveness fueled by drug abuse and lack of opportunity.
“I grew up in Fadikpe. I’ve seen many of my peers fall into drugs and crime due to unemployment,” said Abdullahi, a longtime resident.
“Some of them have been arrested multiple times.”
According to YouthGovTracker, only 2.79% of Niger State’s 2024 budget was allocated to youth empowerment a dismal figure in a state grappling with high youth unemployment, increasing drug dependency, and growing insecurity. This underinvestment is especially alarming given the urgent need to address youth restiveness, which is now a visible driver of petty crimes like burglary and robbery in vulnerable communities such as Fadikpe.
In the 2025 national budget, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development was allocated a total of ₦14.97 billion. This figure covers the ministry’s core operations, programmes, and administrative responsibilities for youth development nationwide. A separate ₦428 million was also explicitly earmarked for targeted initiatives such as the Commonwealth Youth Programmes, Local Youth Exchange Programmes, and activities marking World Youth Skills Day.
Despite Nigeria’s youth making up over 60% of the population, analysts and stakeholders have criticized the allocation as inadequate for addressing the widespread challenges of unemployment, drug abuse, insecurity, and lack of civic engagement among young people.
The funding level also concerns the government’s commitment to fully implementing the National Youth Policy (2019–2023), which outlines ambitious goals around youth empowerment, job creation, and participation in national development.
Rainfall and Violence
The threat goes beyond petty theft. On 24th May 2025, at exactly 3:00 a.m., Michael Monday Igwe was brutally attacked during heavy rainfall.
“I woke to my younger brother’s scream,” he said.
“Two boys with red handkerchiefs over their faces were in our room. One flashed a torch in my eyes. I tried to resist, and they cut me with a cutlass on my head and neck. They jumped the fence and escaped.”
Although the community leader (Mai-angwa) promised to report the case to the police, the family has not received any updates.
Click here for crime scene video
Taking Security Into Their Own Hands
According to Muhammad Danjuma, a local vigilante and security expert, these cases aren’t isolated. As the rainy season sets in, residents of the Fadikpe community increasingly brace for flooding and criminal activity.
“Heavy rainfall, especially when intense and prolonged, creates the perfect conditions for burglary,” Danjuma explained.
“The noise from the rain masks movements, fewer people are outside, and homes are often left with open windows or weakened structures. Thieves know this.”
With confidence in the police system deteriorating, youth in Fadikpe have established a grassroots initiative known as “Neighbourhood Watch.” with over 20 youths in the community
This local security system is coordinated under a vigilante leader chosen by the community. Residents report suspicious activity directly to the group, which takes swift action when necessary.
Since the group’s formation, there has been a notable drop in reported thefts, and at least two thieves have been caught:one with a stolen phone and another with a slaughtered goat.
“People are tired of waiting for police that won’t show up,” said Danjuma. “The community is simply trying to survive.”
Earlier this year, the Niger State government imposed a curfew in Minna due to widespread insecurity. Still, many residents believe that community-based security, supported, trained, and equipped, is a more sustainable solution.
A Climate-Security Nexus
Climate change brings more erratic and intense rainfall, so communities like Fadikpe face a compounded crisis. Floods and storms damage infrastructure and create the perfect cover for criminal activity.
“Security personnel and local vigilantes should be trained to understand the link between weather patterns and crime,” saidDanjuma.
“We need a climate-conscious approach to community security one that recognizes how natural events are being exploited by criminals.”
What’s unfolding in Fadikpe is a clear call to action: improve local policing, invest in youth, and build security systems that account for our changing climate. Until then, residents in communities like this will continue to fear the rain, not just for the flood but also for the people it brings with it.
