Author(s) :

Alaku, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka (PhD).

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

The paper is premised on leadership dysfunctionality and trust deficit culture of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida regime that encouraged small arms proliferation and abuse. The regime since Mid-1980s had left behind lofty ideals such as the issue of Nigeria’s membership of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), Structural Adjustment Programme, Corruption, Financial Fraudsters (419), and Annulment of 12th June 1993 Presidential Election cum overt support of sub-national interest. These lofty ideals made small arms attractive and communicated wrong values that encouraged the promotion of guns as symbols of acquiring wealth and power in the society. Failure of the state and its security agencies to guarantee protection for its citizens not only transformed security from public goods to private service but made small arms inevitable. Works on IBB regime had become prevalent but emphasis on its overt and covert support for arms proliferation in Nigeria, a gap this study intends to fill, is highly obscured. Primary and secondary sources such as journals, books, newspapers, interviews, ad-hoc observation and account were analyzed qualitatively using self-report techniques and social contract theory. The study submits that the increased incidence of armed conflict in Nigeria as a result of the IBB’s harsh economic policy fueled the proliferation of arms and abuse. This, in turn, promoted the formation of desperate armed groups as a show of the citizens’ demonstration of dissatisfaction of the policy. Keywords: IBB regime, leadership, deceit, small arms, Nigeria,

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