Centre Urges Police, Other Security Agencies’ Collaboration To Curb Illicit Arms’ Spread

The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), has urged stronger collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to curb the spread of illicit weapons nationwide
The Zonal Director of NCCSALW, South-West Zone, retired Commissioner of Abiodun Alamutu, made the call during a courtesy visit to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Mr Olohundare Jimoh at the command headquarters yesterday in Lagos.
The visit was aimed at introducing the Centre’s mandate to state security stakeholders and securing greater institutional support.
According to him, although Centre has enjoyed functional relationships with the military and the Nigeria Customs Service, it has yet to receive the level of collaboration required from the police at the zonal level.
He expressed optimism that Lagos state, being the epicentre of national security and economic activities, would lead the way in fostering stronger inter-agency cooperation.
“We are here primarily to officially introduce the Centre to you and seek your support in the fight against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
“The Act establishing the Centre gives us exclusive responsibility for retrieving, storing, and destroying all intercepted or recovered illicit arms by security agencies across the country,” Alamutu said.
He explained that the establishment of the Centre was informed by persistent security challenges across Nigeria, including terrorism in the North and secessionist agitations in the East and West.
Alamutu also highlighted unrest in neighbouring countries such as Chad, Niger, Cameroon, and Benin all of which shared porous borders with Nigeria, contributing to the influx of illicit arms.
“These factors have made the proliferation of small arms and light weapons a major threat to national security.
“It is therefore crucial to have a centralised mechanism for the control, collection, and destruction of illicit weapons,” he said.
He said NCCSALW was established on May 3, 2021, under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, in accordance with Article 24 of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
“The bill formally establishing the Centre was signed into law in 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, placing it under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
“The Centre operates through six zonal offices located in Lagos (South-West), Enugu (South-East), Calabar (South-South), Minna (North-Central), Kaduna (North-West), and Maiduguri (North-East).
“Its personnel are drawn from the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies, ” he said.
Outlining the Centre’s core mandates, Alamutu explained that the NCCSALW was responsible for formulating and implementing policies and strategies aimed at eradicating the proliferation of small arms and light weapons across the country.
According to him, the Centre also maintains a comprehensive national database on illicit arms, which enables it to share relevant information with international bodies such as the United Nations, the African Union, and ECOWAS, in line with global best practices.
According to him, the Centre also monitors how security agencies implement policies related to arms control to ensure compliance and effectiveness.
Alamutu said that the NCCSALW had the mandate to retrieve, safely store, and destroy all illicit arms recovered by security agencies nationwide, as part of efforts to reduce the circulation of illegal weapons and enhance national security.
He said that effective cooperation among all security agencies, particularly the police, was vital for the success of the Centre’s mission.
“With your support, we can mop up the illicit arms in circulation, strengthen peace, and enhance internal security.
“Once Lagos leads, I am confident that other commands across the country will follow suit,” Alamutu said.
Responding, Jimoh, described the engagement as a welcome development.
He emphasised that the fight against illegal arms required joint efforts and shared intelligence among all security stakeholders.
Jimoh reaffirmed the command’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the NCCSALW and other security agencies to tackle the proliferation of illicit firearms across the state and the country at large.
“We are going to collaborate with you 100 per cent, the issue of small arms and light weapons is a major concern to every country in the world.
“For us in Nigeria, it is even more critical because of our borders with countries like Chad, Niger, Cameroon, and Benin Republic, which have witnessed various civil strife and conflicts that contribute to the inflow of arms, ” he said.
He explained that small arms and light weapons such as assault rifles and locally fabricated firearms posed a significant threat to national security, as they were easily concealed, transported, and capable of causing mass casualties.
“We have been recovering quite a number of weapons on a regular basis, from both locally made and foreign sources,” Jimoh said.