Illicit Arms Movement from North to South-West Raises Alarm

Inspector General of Police Tunji Disu disclosed on Thursday during a visit to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons headquarters in Abuja that there is a concerning trend of illicit arms movement from conflict-ridden areas in northern Nigeria to the South-West. Disu warned that this trend poses a growing security threat, highlighting intelligence indicating that weapons are being transported from battle zones in Maiduguri and Zamfara to various parts of the country.

He stressed the importance of real-time intelligence sharing among security agencies to intercept weapons before they reach criminal elements. Disu also noted the increasing sophistication of local firearm manufacturing, making it difficult for police to distinguish between imported and locally produced weapons.

He called for a crackdown on illegal arms manufacturing and emphasized the need for stricter security around police armories. Earlier, Babatunde Johnson, the Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, reported the destruction of 16,000 obsolete weapons, including 11,907 supplied to the Nigerian Police Force.