ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF TRANS-BORDER CRIMES ON SECURITY IN NIGERIA(CASE STUDY OF NIGERIA – NIGER BORDER)

ABSTRACT
 
This study dwells on the Assessment of the Implications of Trans-border Crimes on security in Nigeria (Cases study of Nigeria-Niger border). Trans-border crime involves the movement of persons, goods and services across the sovereign national boundaries in a manner devoid of acceptable norms and standard. These illegal enterprise not only threaten aspect of our states sovereignty and security, but they also prove the permeability of our national borders vulnerability of state institution. The trans-border crimes include illicit drug trafficking, illegal firearms trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, terrorism, smuggling, corruption, theft of credit cards etc. The study set to find out the causes, nature, pattern and implications of trans-border crimes on the Nigerian national security. The data were generated by the use of questionnaire, and in-depth interviews. The data collected from the survey were analysed descriptively using frequencies and percentage. While data collected from the in-depth interviews were transcribed and used to support quantitative data. The findings indicated that, the issue of trans-border crimes can be attributed to so many factors among which includes financial gain involved in the such crime, porosity of the national boundaries, internal wars experienced by some neighbouring countries, neglect of border communities in the erection of infrastructural facilities, depressed economy etc. on the nature and pattern of trans-border crimes, the findings indicated that, these criminals can compete with legal economic system and promote corruption and undermine the authority of the state, paving way for violent extremism and terrorism. On the measures adopted by the government and law enforcement agents to control the menace, the findings indicated that a number of measures were implemented some of which are: intensive international boundary patrol, check points at the seaport,
 
 
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airports and along the border areas. And on the international sphere, Nigeria is collaboration with ECOWAS member nations, established a workshop which was designed to enable the chief of police. Customs and gendarmerie, to initiate a process of establishing on information exchange network and strategy for the control of the proliferation of light weapons in the sub region etc. on the issue of the challenges ahead the findings indicates that, in most cases the Nigerian security agencies were unable to provide much needed security against the activities of trans-border criminals in the country etc. it is in the light of the above therefore, the following short and long term measures are recommended for consideration; government must employ modern strategies in handling the border areas, to train and equip the security agencies with appropriate weapons that are superior to those of the trans-border criminals. Moreover, government should address the issue of unemployment, neglect of border communities and social injustice so as to improve the socio-economic conditions of the people living along the border areas, and also subsidizing the tendency of turning the crime as an alternative to survival.