Cross-Border Arms Trafficking and Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) in South-West Nigeria: Security Implications and Policy Responses

Abstract

The proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) driven by cross-border trafficking has emerged as one of the most critical security threats confronting South-West Nigeria in the 21st Century. This study adopted a qualitative design to examine the nature of insecurity and the role of security education in addressing emerging security challenges in South West Nigeria. Special attention was given to evidence directly related to the six South Western states of Nigeria: Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo States. The evidence spans 2002-2026. Search terms included combinations of insecurity in South West Nigeria, kidnapping in Ogun State, kidnapping in Oyo State, insecurity in Ondo State, Amotekun, Western Nigeria Security Network, community policing, border security, Nigeria-Benin border, transnational crime, and community security. The study is anchored in Alfred Marshall's supply-demand model, complemented by three supporting perspectives: the economic theory of crime, the security dilemma, and relative deprivation. Evidence from the North East, North West and Sahel is retained in this study, but its analytical status is explicitly limited. Studies concerning Boko Haram, ISWAP, Sahelian insecurity, rural banditry and insurgency are used to establish national security. Demonstrate the changing character of insecurity in Nigeria and identify broader mechanisms such as weak intelligence systems, porous borders, inadequate inter-agency coordination, and socio-economic vulnerability. The paper recommended that sustainable arms control in the South-West demands urgent institutional reform, regional cooperation, and community engagement.