ECOWAS Warns That Diversion of Legal Arms Threatens National Security

ECOWAS has warned that weapons diverted from legal stockpiles can pose as serious a threat as arms trafficked across borders. The regional bloc urged member states to strengthen controls over authorized arsenals and prevent weapons from being stolen, lost or misused.

The warning came Monday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during a five-day training program on physical security, stockpile management and property management for national security in Nigeria. The ECOWAS Small Arms Division organized the program with the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies.

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While most attention is often paid to weapons trafficked across borders, we must equally remain vigilant about the diversion of weapons from legally authorised stockpiles of member states.

Acting division head Abayomi Adeomi praised the federal government, Nigeria’s National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons and the Rivers State government for supporting the training. He said the partnership had turned ECOWAS commitments into practical capacity building for member states.

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Comprehensive and effective stockpile management is therefore not just a mere technical administrative function.

“While most attention is often paid to weapons trafficked across borders, we must equally remain vigilant about the diversion of weapons from legally authorised stockpiles of member states,” Adeomi said. He described stockpile management as more than a technical administrative task, linking it to conflict prevention, peace-building, accountable security governance, accurate inventories, inspections, safe handling and trained personnel.

Adeomi also stressed the importance of destroying obsolete and surplus weapons on time. Johnson Kukomo, director-general of Nigeria’s small-arms control centre, said the agency had destroyed more than 17,000 illicit, unserviceable, obsolete and decommissioned weapons, as well as over 20,000 rounds of illicit ammunition, since its establishment in 2021. Kukomo was represented at the training by Alex Ebimiebo, the centre’s South-South zonal director.

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Since its inception, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons has destroyed over 17,000 illicit, unserviceable, obsolete and decommissioned weapons, as well as over 20,000 rounds of illicit ammunition.