Few if any of the militant groups in Nigeria using the weapons have the means to obtain these weapons directly; instead, they are typically purchased by otherwise legitimate Nigerian businessmen from illicit manufacturers and distributors and traded for oil "bunkered" (stolen) by the groups themselves (Keili 2008). Nigeria and other countries in the region placed bans on the importing, exporting, or manufacturing of most small arms and weapons within their borders as far back as 1998, but Nigeria is known to have especially porous borders on both land and sea, and lax export controls in many weapons supplier countries have exacerbated the problems caused by Nigeria's sudden wealth but lack of security and infrastructure still further.

The issue is made still more complex by the political situation within Nigeria. Groups like the Movement for the Emancipation of the Nigerian Delta claim that their country -- or their specific region --...
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