Effects Of Smallarms And Light Weapons Proliferation On National Security In Nigeria'S Fourth Republic

In developed nations of the world, small arms and light weapons (SALWs) are highly regulated to ensure that they do not get to unauthorised hands, who could easily abuse their use to disrupt peace, harm other citizens and thus threaten the security of the nation. In the developing African countries such as Nigeria, the proliferation of SALWs is prevalent to the extent that non-state actors take advantage of this situation to acquire illegal wealth and unleash mayhem on innocent citizens thus bringing about loss of lives and destruction of properties of high magnitude. This phenomenon has created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty which impact negatively on socio economic development, heat up the polity and thus bring about insecurity. This paper investigates the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria focusing on its implications on national security in Nigeria's Fourth Republic. The study employs secondary method of data collection, adopts descriptive method and content analysis. The paper contends that the proliferation of SALWs was caused by a variety of factors majorly economic gains and the political class desire to satisfy vested interest. The paper further posits that the efforts made by stakeholders to checkmate the trend ended up in abysmal failure. The situation has become worrisome to political analysts, donor agencies and international financial institutions who contend that meaningful development could only take place in a peaceful environment. The paper, therefore, concludes that in order to squelch the proliferation of SALWs in Nigeria, the leadership should wield strong political will to confront the dreaded phenomenon, ensure that Nigeria's borders are properly secured while culprits are sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of the existing law.