Possession of Small Arms, Security Architecture and Crisis of Development in Obudu Local Government Area of Nigeria’s Cross River State

Abstract

The study examines the impact of small arms possession on the security architecture and development of Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. Against the backdrop of the post-cold war proliferation of arms across Africa, the study explores how illegal arms circulation fuels insecurity, disrupts communal development and weakens regional stability. The study highlights how porous borders, poverty, unemployment, economic hardship, and governance deficits facilitate the influx and possession of arms by non-state actors, local militias, and civilians in Obudu LGA. Anchored on Johan Galtung’s Structural Violence Theory and the Social Disorganization Theory of Shaw and McKay, the study employs the documentary research design and utilized secondary method of data collection. Data were analyzed using the content analytical technique. Finding reveal that small arms possession has significantly exacerbated communal clashes, boundary disputes, armed robbery, cultism, and a general climate of insecurity and underdevelopment. It concludes that addressing the menace of illicit arms requires a holistic overhaul of security institutions, implementation of robust disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) frameworks, and policies that enhance trust, governance, and socio-economic empowerment at the grassroots.