In an effort to curb the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (Southwest Zone) has identified the widespread availability of such weapons as a major driver of insecurity, banditry, and terrorism in Nigeria.

Speaking at a one-day seminar on effective post-judgment management of small arms and light weapons in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the Zonal Director and former Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, CP Abiodun Mustapha Alamutu, disclosed that a significant proportion of these weapons are in the hands of non-state actors.

“And that explains why we now want to shift our focus to mopping up illicit arms already in circulation. The bulk of the successes we have recorded has been at the border points—those weapons attempting to enter our society. We have achieved tremendous success in that regard,” he said.

“However, we are now diverting our attention to retrieving those already in circulation. This is why we require the active collaboration of stakeholders—traditional rulers, NGOs, and community leaders—to appeal to those in possession of these weapons. For those willing to surrender them voluntarily, the possibility of amnesty could be considered, though that would be a recommendation to be forwarded to the headquarters.”

On the scale of arms proliferation, Alamutu noted that more than five million small and light weapons are estimated to be in circulation.

“The estimate is up to five million, though we cannot state categorically that this is the exact number. However, available records suggest it is within or even above that figure,” he added.

He further stated that the Centre is a signatory to both the ECOWAS Convention and relevant UN conventions, which stipulate that illicit arms must be destroyed.

“If, however, we believe that at our level we should not follow that approach, we still need to revert to the law,” he said.

In his presentation, the guest speaker, Dr. Kunle Olawunmi, Head of the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy at Chrisland University, Abeokuta, suggested that instead of destroying seized weapons, they could be repurposed within the country or sold to other nations.

He urged the Federal Government to urgently consider the committee’s recommendations on alternative approaches to handling recovered weapons.

Olawunmi also noted that waging war against one’s country constitutes a treasonable offence, stressing that individuals sponsoring insecurity should be identified, arrested, and prosecuted.

He added that each weapon can be traced through its serial number to determine its origin, purchase history, and manufacturer.

Also speaking, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Ojajuni, urged the Centre to explore additional strategies for recovering illicit arms.

“At the moment, we are dealing with only a fraction of the arms in circulation. While there are isolated recoveries here and there, many are undocumented and not accounted for,” he said.

“On the other hand, a number of recovered weapons, after due process, remain in armouries alongside those used by security agencies, particularly the police.”