Human-Computer Interaction in Cybersecurity: Leveraging Digital Systems to Combat Rural Banditry in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Rural banditry has become one of the most damaging security problems in Nigeria’s northwest, displacing over a million people and collapsing agricultural economies in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Sokoto states. Nigerian security institutions have responded, in part, by deploying digital surveillance platforms, geographic mapping systems, and incident reporting tools. These investments, however, have largely failed to produce the operational improvements that policymakers anticipated. This study argues that a substantial part of that failure is attributable to poor Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) design: systems built for environments very different from the ones in which they are deployed, and for users very different from those who actually operate them.

Objective: This study aimed to: (1) identify HCI-related deficiencies in digital security systems deployed for counter-banditry operations in northwest Nigeria; (2) assess the relationship between interface usability and system adoption among security personnel; and (3) propose a set of HCI design principles tailored to the Nigerian counter-banditry operational context.

Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods design was used, combining a structured survey of 120 security personnel across three states with in-depth interviews of 15 key informants. Usability was measured using the System Usability Scale (SUS). Adoption frequency and perceived operational effectiveness were also captured. Pearson correlation analysis examined the relationship between usability and adoption rates. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using the six-phase framework.

Results: The mean SUS score across deployed platforms was 48.3 (SD = 14.7), well below the threshold of acceptable usability, and only 23.3% of respondents recorded scores above 70. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between usability scores and system adoption rates (r = 0.63, p < 0.001). Only 38.3% of respondents reported daily or near-daily system use, and 31.7% reported that the system improved their operational effectiveness. Qualitative analysis identified five recurring barriers: interface complexity beyond user literacy levels, poor connectivity handling, English-only interfaces in predominantly Hausa-speaking operational environments, absence of participatory design, and dashboards that impair rather than support situational awareness.

Conclusion: The study proposes five corresponding HCI design principles for counter-banditry security systems and recommends that HCI evaluation be embedded as a mandatory requirement in public security technology procurement in Nigeria.