Arms Proliferation and Insecurity in Nigeria’s Niger Delta
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Abstract
Arms proliferation and insecurity is a global challenge. The situation in Nigeria is precarious as unrestricted and unchecked access to arms is one of the biggest monsters bedevilling Nigeria’s security. Hence, this study examined arms proliferation and insecurity in Nigeria, with a focus on the Niger Delta crisis. The study investigated the effect of arms proliferation on the escalation of insecurity and government responses in the Niger Delta. The study adopted a mixed method research design with a self-structured questionnaire and interview guide for data collection. 400 respondents were sampled from Bayelsa State, the study area, using stratified random sampling technique and ANOVA analysis was used to test the research hypotheses. The study revealed that arms proliferation contributed significantly to heightened insecurity in the Niger Delta region as it exacerbated the agitations for resource control and existing ethnic and communal conflict, violated human rights and increased militant attacks. It also revealed that government responses especially the Amnesty programme have helped to reduce illegal arms to the barest minimum though little tensions still brews in the region. It concluded that insecurity will continue unabated and arms will flow back into the region if the underlying causes of the agitations are not adequately addressed. The study therefore recommends that government should address the root causes of the crisis and put stringent measures like lengthy sentences for arms traffickers, in place to curb illegal arms to the barest minimum in the region.
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