The Economic Community of West African States has urged member states to prevent the diversion of legally acquired weapons for illicit purposes, warning that such practices pose a serious threat to national security.
The regional bloc also stressed the need for stronger physical security and stockpile management to prevent legally acquired arms from being stolen, lost or diverted to criminals and other unauthorised groups.
The warning was issued during a five-day training on physical security, stockpile management and property management for national security in Nigeria, organised by the ECOWAS Small Arms Division in partnership with the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies.
The training was held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday.
Speaking at the event, the Acting Head of the ECOWAS Small Arms Division, Abayomi Adeomi, commended the Nigerian Government, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons and the Rivers State Government for supporting the programme.
Adeomi said the region’s security challenges required countries to look beyond the illegal trafficking of weapons across borders and pay greater attention to arms diversion from authorised stockpiles.
“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,” he said.
He stressed that effective stockpile management was a critical component of national security, conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
According to him, accurate inventory records, regular inspections, safe handling procedures, proper storage and trained personnel were essential to preventing the theft, loss and diversion of weapons and ammunition.
The Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Johnson Kokumo, said the centre had destroyed more than 17,000 illicit, unserviceable, obsolete and decommissioned weapons since its establishment in 2021.
He added that more than 20,000 rounds of illicit ammunition had also been destroyed.
Kokumo, who was represented by the Zonal Director, South-South, Alex Ebimiebo, said the destruction of obsolete and illicit weapons formed part of the centre’s broader efforts to tackle the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria.
He said the Nigerian Government established the centre in 2021 to provide a stronger institutional framework for controlling the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
Before its establishment, he said, national efforts were coordinated principally through the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons, which was inaugurated in 2013 as a multi-agency mechanism.
Ebimiebo said the centre had continued to prioritise capacity building for the armed forces, police and other law enforcement agencies.
He noted that particular attention had been given to weapons and ammunition management, physical security, marking and tracking, record keeping and institutional procedures designed to prevent the loss and diversion of arms.
According to him, proper documentation and the destruction of decommissioned weapons and ammunition help permanently remove such materials from circulation and reduce the risk of diversion.
He added that the centre had continued to work with ECOWAS, the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies and other development partners on capacity building, technical assistance, arms marking and tracing, weapons disposal and the implementation of regional and international instruments.
Ebimiebo stressed that international cooperation was essential because illicit arms proliferation was transnational and could not be effectively tackled by one institution or country acting alone.
Also speaking, the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Everest Okoro, said poor management of weapons stockpiles could increase the risk of theft, diversion, unauthorised access, deterioration and accidental explosions.
Okoro, who was represented by the Commander, 6 Division Garrison and Commander, Sector 3, Joint Task Force, South-South Operation Delta Safe, Brigadier-General A.A. Bello, said 20 participants from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police and other security agencies attended the training.
He said weapons and ammunition, if poorly stored or protected, could become a serious danger to military personnel, surrounding communities and national security.
“Conversely, disciplined stockpile management preserves operational capability, protects lives and material, strengthens accountability and prevents weapons and ammunition from reaching criminals, terrorists and other unauthorised non-state actors,” he said.
Okoro called for procedures that were consistent with recognised international best practices.
The training was aimed at strengthening the capacity of security agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Department of State Services, Nigerian Police and paramilitary agencies operating in Rivers State and the Niger Delta region.