The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has identified the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons as a major driver of banditry, terrorism, organised crime and communal violence in Nigeria.
Ribadu stated this in Abuja at a workshop on lessons from the 2016 National Baseline Survey on Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons, organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).
Represented by Mr Solomon Feyintola, Director of External Affairs in the Office of the NSA, Ribadu said the 2016 survey helped shape Nigeria’s response to illicit weapons proliferation, including the establishment of the NCCSALW and development of a National Action Plan. He, however, said a fresh assessment was necessary because criminal activities and trafficking routes had evolved.
The NSA called for an honest review of the previous survey to identify what worked and what needed improvement. He also advocated a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach involving security agencies, state and local authorities, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and communities.
NCCSALW Director-General, retired DIG Johnson Kokumo, said the new survey should establish the nature, scale, distribution, sources and drivers of illicit weapons in Nigeria. UNODA representative, Dr Adedeji Ebo, stressed that 2016 data could no longer provide an adequate picture of the country’s current security threats.
Ebo urged Nigeria to ensure the new survey was rigorous and inclusive, with contributions from affected communities and vulnerable groups. He said reliable data would help government target interventions more effectively and could position Nigeria as a regional centre for arms-control research, training and capacity building.
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