Illicit arms moving from North to South-West, warns Nigeria's police chief

Nigeria's Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has sounded an alarm over the increasing movement of illicit arms from conflict-ridden Northern Nigeria to the South-West, identifying it as a significant and growing security threat. Disu stated that intelligence suggests weapons are being transported from battle zones, including Maiduguri and Zamfara, to other parts of the country, particularly the South-West, using both road and water routes.

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Arms are moving everywhere in the country, using the roads, the waters and even other routes. Arms are moving from the battle areas, Maiduguri, Zamfara, down to the West. Most of the time they come by road and by water as well, so timely intelligence will help us solve this.

Speaking during a visit to the Force Headquarters in Abuja by the Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Disu stressed the critical need for timely and real-time intelligence sharing among security agencies. "Intelligence shared is invaluable. Everywhere in the world, intelligence sharing is going to real-time intelligence sharing so that we can quickly nip it in the bud," he said, highlighting the importance of intercepting weapons before they reach criminal elements.

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Intelligence shared is invaluable. Everywhere in the world, intelligence sharing is going to real-time intelligence sharing so that we can quickly nip it in the bud.

Disu attributed the influx of illegal arms to Nigeria's porous borders, noting that traffickers exploit unmanned routes to smuggle weapons. He also expressed concern over the growing sophistication of locally manufactured firearms, some of which are nearly indistinguishable from imported weapons and even bear serial numbers. The police chief called for a crackdown on illegal arms manufacturers and black markets.

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Our borders are so porous, and these people have made up their minds to traffic arms. They will do anything possible to ensure the arms come into the country and get into the hands of those who want to commit crimes.

Furthermore, Disu urged for stricter security measures around police armouries, acknowledging that some security personnel have been implicated in the illegal sale of weapons. He stated that the police have intensified efforts to recover illegal weapons, especially in anticipation of the 2027 general elections, and will continue civil disarmament campaigns to encourage the voluntary surrender of illicit arms.

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As police officers, we are recovering arms that we are even finding it difficult to identify because they look almost like imported arms. People are now producing weapons that look just like AK-47 rifles, complete with serial numbers.