Oil Conflicts and Arms Proliferationin Ogoni and IJAW Region of Niger Delta, Nigeria: The Possible Solutions

ABSTRACT : The Nigerian nation is presumed to be a rich country that derives most of its riches, treasures and revenue from crude oil. Unfortunately, this oil is endowed in one region from the several regions that make up then ation and,invariably, this oil becomes a source of conflict rather than peace, unity and stability of the nation. The people in the region, Ogani‟s and Ijaw‟s especially claimed that, they were being deprived of the gain from their resource, the resources that come from their region and soil; they claimed that there were no adequate care for their environment where water pollution as a result of oil activities affected their fish business and shattered their farmland. Most of this has, however, led and driven them to rise against the Nigerian government, hence oil conflicts. The militarization of the conflict is both a recipe for and a result of arms proliferation. This paper, having relied on the context analysis of the secondary data such as newspapers report, government white papers, articles and journals etc.recommends that government should systematically deemphasized the use of maximum force, de-mobilized and engage the aggrieved communities in meaningful dialogue to enhance tolerance from both sides in order to allow for sustainable peace-building.
KEY WORDS: Arms Proliferation, Oil Conflicts, Oil-Rich, Region