THE PROLIFERATION OF ARMS AMONG ETHNIC MILITIA IN NIGERIA: AN ANALYSIS OF SOUTHERN SENATORIAL DISTRICT, NASARAWA STATE

The wide spread of arms in Nigeria has, posed serious dangers to lives and properties in Nigeria particularly, Nasarawa State. Nigeria has recorded several cases of violence generated by one militia group or another in their quest for land resources, literature on militia either agitating for economic interest or political representation in Nigeria were abound. The increase acquisition of small arms by the various ethnic groups has facilitated the wide spread of small arms in Nigeria, Nasarawa State. The main objective of this study is to investigate the arms proliferation and ethnic militiaformation in Nasarawa State. The study adopted Marxist conflict theory to explain the phenomenon. Primary and secondary data were used for the paper and the study discovered that wide spread arms leads to the formation of ethnic militia in Nasarawa State southern senatorial district, it also revealed that there are two major rival ethnic militia in Nasarawa (Fidani herds-men and the Ombatse militia), it also discovered that there is mutual suspicion among the two rival ethnic groups in the study area. Hence, the study recommends urgent steps be taken by government to disarm and recover the large arms in circulation, it also recommended that government should, investigates and fish-out local gun- smith in Nasarawa State. The police should liaise with the vigilante to search for and recover small arms in the area and finally, the study recommends that traditional and religious leaders should enlighten 'the people on the dangers of small arms and light weapons in Nasarawa state and Nigeria in general.