Challenges Faced by Indigenous People of Calabar Province in Firearm Imports and Licensing, 1917-1960.
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Abstract
This study examines the challenges encountered by indigenous people of Calabar Province in firearm imports and licensing between 1917 and 1960. During this period, significant quantity of firearms was imported into the province, which necessitated the colonial authorities to impose a wide range of firearm regulatory laws through colonial legislation to regulate all aspects of firearms, including ownership, usage and imports. The attempt by some indigenous people of the province to comply with a regulated firearm regime appeared to have been challenging. This study deployed the historical research design of the qualitative approach to analyse available historical evidence used in the study, while relying on primary sources of evidence complemented by secondary sources of evidence. The primary sources of evidence include Archival materials, such as intelligence reports on districts in Calabar Province, memoranda and circulars on firearm imports and licensing, as well as official permits to bear firearms. The secondary sources of evidence are drawn from the analysis and interpretation of primary evidence, which include book chapters, journals, articles, research papers, newspapers and magazines relating to Calabar Province on firearm imports and licensing obtained from the University of Calabar library. The Journal of Historical Society of Nigeria Journal of African History, among others, served as vital sources of evidence. The findings of the study show that an assortment of factors, regarding the procedure for obtaining valid firearm licenses, posed significant challenges to some indigenous people of the province during the colonial era. Therefore, the imposition of a series of firearm regulatory laws by the colonial authorities in the Southern Provinces of Nigeria, including Calabar Province, appeared to have resulted in assortment of challenges that militated against the attempt by indigenous people of the province to comply with extant firearm regulations, especially in firearm imports and licensing.
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References
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