Arms Proliferation, Crude Oil Theft and Environmental Security in Africa: Lessons from Nigeria’s Post-Amnesty Niger Delta.

Abstract

This paper examines the activities of third parties aided by Small Arms and Light Weapons proliferation as a risk for environmental security in the Niger Delta region in the post-amnesty era. Basically, the study examines the extent to which the activities of third parties aided by the pervasiveness of SALW engender environmental insecurity in the Niger Delta. Its major argument is that, the activities of the third parties (Oil bunkers, pipeline vandals) aided by the proliferation of SALW is responsible for the majority of incidences of oil spillage in the region in the post-amnesty era. With the aid of in-depth interviews and secondary materials, the study revealed that the increase in pipeline vandalism and oil theft aided by the use of SALW were responsible for about 78.62% of incidences of oil spillage in the post amnesty era. The study concluded that environmental degradation in the post amnesty Niger Delta is mainly caused by the activities of third parties such as pipeline vandals and oil thieves. Hence, the Oil MNCs and the Federal government and Oil MNCs must strengthen surveillance security system to address worsening environmental crisis in the region.