The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Southwest Zone, has identified the proliferation of small arms and light weapons as a major driver of insecurity, banditry, and terrorism in Nigeria. The statement was made during a one-day seminar on effective post-judgement management of small arms and light weapons held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Zonal Director's Remarks
The Zonal Director and former Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, CP Abiodun Mustapha Alamutu, disclosed that the institution has discovered that a large number of these weapons are in the hands of non-state actors. He emphasized the need to shift focus toward mopping up illicit arms already in circulation.
“The bulk of the successes we have recorded has been at the border points, those that are about to come into our society. And we have made tremendous successes in that. But now, we want to divert our attention into mopping up those that are already in circulation,” Alamutu said.
He called for active collaboration with stakeholders, including traditional rulers, NGOs, and community leaders, to persuade criminals to voluntarily surrender their weapons. He suggested that granting amnesty could be considered, adding that such a proposal would be forwarded to the headquarters for approval.
Estimates of Arms Proliferation
Regarding the scale of the problem, Alamutu noted that there are more than five million small and light weapons in circulation. “The estimate is up to five million, but we cannot say categorically this is the number. But from records available, it falls within or quite above five million,” he stated.
He further explained that the centre is a signatory to the ECOWAS Convention and the UNHCR Convention, which mandate the destruction of such illicit arms. However, he acknowledged that alternative approaches might be considered within the legal framework.
Guest Speaker's Perspective
The guest speaker, Dr. Kunle Olawunmi, Head of the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy at Chrisland University, Abeokuta, proposed that instead of destroying the weapons, they could be reused within the country or sold to other nations. He urged the federal government to urgently review the committee's recommendations on how the issue of weapon destruction can be better handled.
Dr. Olawunmi also described waging war against one's country as a treasonable offense and called for the arrest and prosecution of those sponsoring inequality in the nation. He highlighted that each weapon can be traced through its serial number to its original point of purchase and manufacture.
State Commissioner's Appeal
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Ojajuni, in his remarks, urged the centre to devise additional avenues to mop up weapons from circulation.
