Nigeria leads other West African countries in the illegal arms crisis, holding a staggering 70 per cent of the region’s 11 million illicit small arms and light weapons.
The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) revealed what indicates a significant level of threat and its damning effect on national security, regional planning, and others.
According to Mr Alex Ebimiebo, South-South Zonal Director of NCCSALW, Nigeria is responsible for harbouring 7.7 million illegal weapons out of 11 million available in the region, adding that a 2021 NCCSALW survey discovered that more than 6 million illegal weapons are found within Nigeria alone.
Of these weapons, 70 per cent are with non-state actors comprising bandits, terrorists, insurgents, and armed gangs.
Findings by Thediggernews show that the proliferation of arms is directly proportional to 2.2 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) scattered across some geo-political zones, and 26,000 refugees in neighbouring countries, the figures which arose from displacement occasioned by terrorism, violence, and communal clashes.
According to available data, the IDPs in North-East amount to 2,252,348, identified in 465,935 households, North-Central and North-West have 969,757 IDPs in 157,519 households.
Further investigation shows the top states with 1DP locations remain Katsina with 297 locations, Kaduna with 262 locations, and Benue with 235 locations.
In the words of Ebimiebo, the illicit arms trade has its negative repercussions, like weakening peacebuilding efforts in the country, fanning the ember of violent crime and insecurity, as well as altering local economies.
However, Nigeria’s porous borders allow for the influx of arms and ammunition, a significant challenge that makes Nigeria vulnerable, according to Rear Admiral Oludude, Commandant of the Naval War College.
Nigeria shares land borders of about 4,470km with Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Benin, and a maritime domain of 853 km of coastline along the Gulf of Guinea, all of which are constantly exploited for the inflow of arms smuggling into the country.
Tackling the crisis, Oludude emphasised that it is beyond the capacity of a single agency to combat the menace alone.
He demanded inter-agency cooperation, including comparing intelligence, resources, and operational capacity, noting that the Naval Warfare Course 9 Inter-Agency Seminar served as a stage to promote such cooperation.
According to Ebimiebo, the society in general should be involved in the effort to combat the illicit influx of weapons into the country, appealing to the citizens to become active stakeholders, and adding that the NCCSALW is rolling out advocacy and sensitisation programmes to raise the awareness of the public and encourage the involvement of the community.
Stemming the tide, The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, advised that seminar discussions should translate into concrete actions, as sharing insights across agencies and implementing recommended strategies will nip the ugly development in the bud.
He listed, among others, that Nigeria should invest in training, technology, and intelligence gathering to enhance operational effectiveness.
As investigations have revealed that Nigeria is home to the majority of arms and ammunition in West Africa, the country is sitting on a tinderbox that can explode at any moment.
The deluge of weapons in the hands of non-state actors, armed bandits, and terrorists alike is alarming, indicating that a grave danger is impending, unless, as recommended by NCCSALW, every citizen is involved in the fight against the threat of the incursion of weapons.
However, the fight will entail that the government at all levels, stakeholders, and citizens make use of robust intelligence and sustained community engagement.