TRANSBORDER MIGRATION AND NIGERIA’S INTERNAL SECURITY CHALLENGES: A STUDY OF NIGERIA-BENIN REPUBLIC BORDER [2015-2020]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
This study examined the impact of migration into Nigeria through the Benin Republic border on Nigeria's internal security. The study was conducted against the spiraling security challenges in the country including kidnapping, banditry, herdsmen attacks, unknown gun men, Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) militancy, etc. This study examined the interconnectedness between transborder migration and Nigeria’s internal security challenges. The study adopted the Time Series research design in interrogating the relationship between the independent variable; Trans-border migration and the dependent variable; Nigeria's internal security challenges between 2015-2020 and relied on secondary data from documentary sources. It adopted the Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT) as it's framework of analysis. The study found out that trans-border migration especially through the Nigeria and Benin Republic border constituted to the internal security challenges within the country between 2015 and 2020 and that the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Goods and Capital enhanced migration in Nigeria between 2015 and 2020. The study also found out that the Free Movement Protocol constituted banditry, proliferation of small arms and other forms of violent crimes in Nigeria between 2015 and 2020. It recommended among other things that the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons should be reviewed and the issues contained should be clearly defined to reduce the diverse crimes across borders, that the Nigerian government should prioritize the strengthening of border management, including the deployment of high tech gadgets to control the inflow of migrants into the country and also that the Nigerian government should seek greater regional and international collaboration on trans-border trafficking in small arms and light weapons and establish a joint patrol with Benin Republic to curb the incidence of trans-border criminal activities which inform in large part the proliferation of check points along the highways around the borders.
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