This study examines the relationship between socio-economic deprivation, political patronage, and youth restiveness in Nigeria, using the Kalare group in Gombe Metropolis as a case study for the period 2015–2024. It responds to the limitations of conventional explanations that attribute youth restiveness primarily to unemployment by examining how economic deprivation interacts with political exploitation, marginalisation, and weaknesses in government interventions. This paper anchored on Relative Deprivation Theory (RDT) and Patron-Client Theory (PRT) as a framework of analysis. The study adopted a mixed-methods research design. Quantitative data were obtained from 396 respondents through structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were generated through in-depth interviews with 25 purposively selected key informants and analysed thematically. The findings indicate a statistically significant but relatively weak relationship between unemployment and youth restiveness (χ² = 141.19, p < 0.0001), while other socio-economic deprivation restiveness (χ² = 227.39, p < 0.0001) and political patronages (χ² = 275.13, p < 0.0001) demonstrate a substantially stronger and statistically significant relationship with youth restiveness. The findings therefore suggest that unemployment alone provides an insufficient explanation of Kalare-related youth restiveness; rather, economic deprivation is reinforced by political influence and patronage networks that facilitate youth mobilisation and sustain violent and criminal behaviour. The study further finds a statistically significant negative relationship between unemployment-induced youth restiveness and socioeconomic development, indicating that persistent youth disorder undermines local economic and social progress. Similarly, implementation challenges are significantly and negatively associated with the effectiveness of government interventions. Qualitative evidence corroborates these findings, highlighting the interconnected roles of economic exclusion, political instrumentalisation, weak institutional responses, and inadequate livelihood opportunities in sustaining youth restiveness. The study concludes that addressing the Kalare phenomenon requires moving beyond employment-centred responses towards integrated interventions that simultaneously address socioeconomic deprivation, political patronage, institutional weaknesses, and youth political inclusion. It recommends sustainable employment and livelihood programmes, stronger institutional and legal frameworks, accountable political engagement, community-based prevention mechanisms, and intelligence-led security strategies to reduce the structural conditions that sustain youth restiveness in Gombe Metropolis.

Keywords

Youth Unemployment, Socio-economic Deprivation, Political Patronage, Kalare Gang, Youth Restiveness