Porous Borders, Small Arms Proliferation and Socio-Economic Development in Etung LGA of Cross River State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Corruption, porous borders, proliferation, small arms, socioeconomic developmentAbstract
The study examines the recurring decimal of crimes associated with porous border, small arms and
its impacts on socio-economic development in Etung local government area of Cross River State,
Nigeria. The study adopted the social conflict theory. The paper utilized both primary and secondary
methods of data collection. Data for analytical purposes are extracted through interviews, direct
observation, and questionnaires for the primary method, and textbooks, journal papers, internet
materials, and Nigeria's armed crimes bulletin are obtained for the secondary method. The data are
analyzed through the application of chi-square. The findings reveal that porous borders with
Cameroon and other central African countries is the root cause of small arms proliferation which
made it easier for the neighbouring communities to use it and commit various violent land dispute
crisis and other related crime in the Etung local government area of Cross River State. The study
recommends that border remains a very critical factor in finding solutions to security challenges in
Etung LGA of Cross River State, Nigeria. Just like the skin protects the body, the border protects
the state and the country from dangerous and unforeseeable criminal elements. It is quite obvious
that Etung’s borders in Cross River State have become very porous due to years of socio-economic
neglect by government of the day. Such neglect has led to the serious security challenges today like
cultism, armed robbery, communal land conflict, drugs trafficking, youth unemployment which
have degenerated into the worrisome large-scale destruction of lives, properties and economy of t
not only of Etung LGA but the entire Cross River State, Nigeria. Lastly, there is a need to increase
the security network in the crime spot area and strengthen the community boundaries to reduce the
recurring clashes among the neighboring communities in the Etung local government area.
