WEAPONS, IDENTITY, AND CONFLICT: INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF SMALL ARMS ON ETHNO-RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE IN KARIM LAMIDO, TARABA STATE
Auwal, Abdulkarim and Garba, Mbave Joshua
Volume 5 Issue 2
Abstract
The proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) has emerged as a critical driver of communal instability across Nigeria’s Middle Belt, with far-reaching implications for national cohesion and human security. This study examines the role of SALWs in escalating ethno-religious conflict in Karim Lamido Local Government Area (LGA) of Taraba State a region marked by deep-rooted identity cleavages, political marginalization, and recurring violence. Anchored on Relative Deprivation Theory, the research posits that perceived inequalities whether economic, political, or cultural when combined with access to small arms, significantly increase the likelihood of violent group mobilization. A survey research design was adopted, utilizing a multi-stage sampling technique to select 391 respondents across the LGA’s eleven wards. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed through descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests. Findings reveal a strong consensus among respondents that the availability of SALWs has intensified both the frequency and destructiveness of ethno-religious clashes. The Chi-square analysis confirmed a statistically significant relationship between arms proliferation and conflict escalation (χ² = 204.4, p < 0.05). The study concludes that SALWs serve not only as physical tools of violence but also as psychological instruments of group assertion in contexts of perceived deprivation. It recommends strengthened arms control policies, inclusive governance, community peacebuilding mechanisms, and youth empowerment programs as pathways to sustainable peace. This research contributes to the discourse on armed conflict in Nigeria by providing localized, theory-driven insights into the intersection of weapons, identity, and insecurity. Keywords: Ethno-religious conflict, identity-based violence, insecurity, Karim Lamido, relative deprivation, Small arms, Taraba State
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