Small Arms Proliferation and Insecurity in North East Nigeria

Small arms proliferation remains a major driver of insecurity in North East Nigeria, where insurgency, armed violence, cross-border trafficking and weak security institutions have sustained the circulation and use of illicit weapons. This study examined the socio-economic and political factors facilitating illicit small arms trade and armed violence, and assessed how institutional weaknesses in policing and border security facilitate the proliferation of illicit small arms in the region. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A sample of 400 respondents was drawn from an estimated adult population of 18,273,000 across Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Taraba States using Yamane's formula. Data were collected through the Small Arms Proliferation and Insecurity Questionnaire (SAPIQ) and analysed using frequencies, percentages, mean scores, standard deviations and Chi-square statistics. The study was anchored on Security Dilemma Theory. Findings revealed that poverty, unemployment, limited economic opportunities, weak law enforcement, corruption, political instability, porous borders, black markets, ethnic and religious tensions and the activities of insurgent groups significantly facilitate illicit small arms trade and armed violence (grand mean = 3.35, SD = 0.88; χ² = 3839.139, p < 0.001). The study further found that inadequate funding and training of security agencies, corruption, weak surveillance, poor inter-agency coordination, insufficient manpower, delayed intelligence response, weak prosecution and poor cross-border intelligence sharing significantly facilitate arms proliferation (grand mean = 3.32, SD = 0.90; χ² = 3630.777, p < 0.001). The study concludes that small arms proliferation in North East Nigeria is sustained by the interaction of socio-economic vulnerability, political conditions and institutional weaknesses. It recommends strengthened border security and intelligence coordination, improved accountability in security institutions, and targeted socio-economic interventions for vulnerable youth and conflict-affected communities.