The proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) has emerged as a major driver of insecurity across the BAY States of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, exacerbating violent conflicts, criminal activities, and community displacement. The study examined the prevalence, risk factors, and impacts of SALWs proliferation on internal security, as well as the effectiveness of existing government policies and potential strategies to curb illicit arms circulation. A systematic mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating quantitative and qualitative techniques to ensure methodological triangulation and robust findings. Quantitative data were collected from 395 respondents through structured questionnaires, while qualitative insights were obtained from 30 key informants via in-depth interviews, including security personnel, community leaders, and civil society actors. The results indicate that SALWs proliferation remains alarmingly high, with over two-thirds of respondents reporting increased availability and widespread access in their communities. The result indicates that there is a statistically significant and positive relationship between all the identified risk-factors: unemployment and poverty (χsup2/sup = 276.78, p 0.001), ineffective border management (χsup2/sup = 212.05, p 0.001), communal violence (χsup2/sup = 226.05, p 0.001), corruption (χsup2/sup = 348.66, p 0.001), and political instability (χsup2/sup = 231.27, p 0.001)—have a statistically significant and positive relationship with the prevalence of SALWs proliferation in the BAY States. The result further revealed that SALWs proliferation has a significant and multidimensional negative effect on internal security, manifesting in violent conflicts, criminality, displacement, and the erosion of state authority. The result also revealed that there is a statistically significant and negative relationship between implementation challenges and the effectiveness of arms control policies, confirming that arms control policies were largely perceived as ineffective due to poor enforcement, institutional fragmentation, and policy gaps. The study concludes that SALWs proliferation in the BAY States is sustained by a complex interplay of socio-economic, institutional, and political factors, posing severe threats to internal security. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the government strengthen border security, enhance inter-agency coordination, enforce firearms laws strictly, implement youth-focused economic empowerment programs, and engage communities through awareness campaigns and collaborative disarmament initiatives. These measures are critical to curbing illicit arms circulation and fostering sustainable security in the region.
Sheikh et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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