The Politics of Arms Control and Internal Security in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31150/ajshr.v5i7.2838Keywords:
Politics, Arms Control, Internal SecurityAbstract
The attempts of many countries to ensure peace and stability in their territories have continually seemed to be inefficient due to the growing rate of violence, terrorism, conflict in many regions of the world and Nigeria in particular. This is predominantly due to the proliferation of small arms and weapons of war circulating freely in the hands of unauthorized persons. Some of the objectives of the study were to ascertain the presence of weapon control laws in Nigeria as well as to examine the effect of arms control on internal security of Nigeria and also to determine the impact of the proliferation of fire arms on the internal security of Nigeria. Theoretically, the study adopted the Failed State Theory as associated with the Weberians. Methodologically, the study also made use of the secondary sources of data collection and analyze same through content analysis. Using the above stated methodology, the study found the presence of some weapon control laws in the country both international and local. Following from this, the study concluded that though these laws are there, the operations have proven ineffective in the management of arms in a turbulent country like Nigeria and therefore recommended that, in order for the government's security agencies to be able to effectively fight the spread of armaments across the nation, more advanced and automated logistical support should be made available to the security agencies.
References
Abiodun, T. (2016). An appraisal of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism policy: The case of Boko Haram’ in Akinwunmi and Olaniyan (eds) Global perspectives in education: A Book in Honour of Late Prof. MobolajiOgunsanya, Department of Educational Management, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan: His Lineage Publishing House.
Abolurin, A. (2012). Civil populace, internal security and national development: Any hope? 2nd Faculty Personality Lecture Series; Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan: His Lineage Publishing House.
Anyanwu, U. (2005). Failed states in Africa: The Nigerian case since 1960. American Journal of International Politics and Development Studies, 1(1), 20-25.
Christopher, L. (2011). The social impacts of light weapons availability and proliferation. International alert. A Discussion Paper for UNIDIR.
Chuma-Okoro, H. (2011) Proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria: Legal implications in law and security in Nigeria. Malhouse Press Limited.
Daily Trust, Newspaper, January, 2019 p-7
Daily Trust, Newspaper, May 24, 2017 p-1-6
Davis, S. &Dimieari V. K. (2005). The current stability and future prospects for peace & security in the Niger Delta. Niger Delta Peace and Security Working Papers
Department for International Development (DFID)(2002). Small Arms and Light Weapons: A UK Policy Briefing. Stairway Communication.
ECOWAS, Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, October 1998, Abuja, Nigeria.
Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) (2013c) Essential information on Nigeria, Kano and urban population figures, 2011 and 2013 Population Projection.
Geneva Declaration (2011). Global burden of armed conflict violence: Lethal encounters. Cambridge University Press.
Geneva Declarations (2011). UN Summit on Arms Trade Treaty.
HeywoodAndrew (1997), Politics, Macmillan Press LTD.
Bestman, W. (2006). Weapons of war in the Niger Delta. IIRIN, May 2006, quoted in Bestman Wellington’s article, “Weapons of War in The Niger Delta”
Dunn, S. (2014). Analysis of ethnic and religious conflict in Nigeria, using alternative conflict resolution, Gaskiya Printers.
Edwards, L., Sean, N, & Rachael, S. (2005). Controlling small arms and light weapons proliferation: The potential of the arms trade treaty. Norman Paterson School of Inter’l. Affairs, Carleton University.
Harzen, J. & Horner, J. (2007). Small arms, armed violence, and insecurity: The Niger Delta in perspective occasional paper No. 20.
Jacques, S.( 2014) Drug market violence: Virtual anarchy, police pressure, predation and retaliation. Crime Justice Review, I(3), 15-25.
James, I. (1989). Lake Chad as an instrument of international co-operation, border lands in Africa: A multi-disciplinary and comparative focus on Nigeria and West Africa, University of Lagos Press.
Mukunda, P. (2004). Increasing pirates‟ attacks on African Coasts”: Int‟l. Maritime Bureau (IMB).
Nte, N. (2011). The changing patterns of small and light weapons (SALW) proliferation and the challenges of national security in Nigeria. Global Journal of Africa Stds 1(1), 5
Ojeme, T. (2015). Kidnappings in the Southern Nigeria”: Reported on FRCN, 22 Dec.
Ojudu, B. (2007). Gun smuggling in the Niger Delta” World Press Review.
Osman, T. (2010). Redefining security. foreign affairs 68, 2 (1989): 162-77. Norwegian Peace building Resource Centre (NOREF) Report, April 2013
Reports from Channels TV News (2016) 16, May.
Small Arms Survey (2001). Profiling the problem”, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Small Arms Survey, (2004) Small Arms Survey.
Stemmet, A. (2001). Regulating small arms and light weapons. The African experience. African Security Review, 10(3) Tell Magazine (2004), June 21.
Subrahmanyam, K. (1973). Our national security,” in Economic and The Vanguard Newspaper, 16 April, 2015
Valeri M. (2010). The term politics reconsidered in the light of recent theoretical developments. IBSU Scientific Journal, 1(4), 39-44