IMPACT OF ARMED CONFLICT ON THE NIGERIAN ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Nigeria has experienced numerous conflicts both before and after its formation as a nation, with varying levels of severity. The country's civil war from 1967 to 1970 resulted in a staggering death toll estimated at over 100 million people. The Boko Haram insurgency poses a significant security threat, particularly in the northeast, where violent crimes such as bombings, kidnappings, and killings of unarmed civilians are commonplace. Unfortunately, the environmental consequences of these conflicts often go unreported, undocumented, unpublished, and unspoken. The most significant environmental impacts of armed conflicts in Nigeria are pollution, drought, desertification, and deforestation. These negative effects on the environment are particularly alarming since polluted environments can have a detrimental impact on human health. Therefore, it is crucial to establish an environmental protection legal framework to preserve and conserve the environment, even during times of conflict. Countries that fail to implement environmental policies should face sanctions, and nations alongside communities must be held accountable for any damage caused by armed conflict to the environment. International law aims to limit the use of weapons that pose a significant threat to the environment and to ban the deliberate destruction of the environment during hostilities. The study highlighted some of the consequences of armed conflict.