| Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in the US and the emerging role of policing wherein homeland security is the dominant strategy, there had been little qualitative research conducted on exploring the perceptions of law enforcement officers regarding their and their agencies' role in terrorism prevention, thus this study was critical. The qualitative Delphi study was used in conjunction with three theoretical perspectives of rational choice theory, and deterrence theory, and weak/failed state theory to explore the perceptions of terrorism subject matter experts (SME) from the Henry Jackson Society and the Nigerian Police Force Counterterrorism Unit on terrorism in Nigeria, the causes, and motivations for individuals to engage in terrorist activities, as well as factors that should be implemented in order to deter the growing threats of terrorism in Nigeria.;Several themes developed from the study, including resource control, economic inequality and uneven distribution of national wealth between the south and north of Nigeria, lack of education, unemployment, ineffective or weak government, the lack of capacity of the military and counterterrorism agencies, inadequate training, lack of information sharing among law enforcement agencies, and lack of funding, that emerged from the findings of the study have significant implications for law enforcement for understanding the causes, motivations, and dynamics of terrorism in Nigeria. The recommendations illustrated ways to further understand, prepare, deter, and prevent terrorism in Nigeria. These include strengthening its security forces; addressing current socio-economic and political problems, particularly in the north; information sharing; community policing; financing counterterrorism agencies; and border security. |
