In view of the incessant insecurity and killings across the country, the House of Representatives has passed through second reading a bill to create the national commission against proliferation of small and light weapons.
The bill is a consolidation of two bills by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara and Nnenna Ukeji (PDP, Abia).
Leading the debate on the bill, Ukeji said that according to reports, out of over 500 million illegal weapons in West Africa, 70% are in Nigeria. She noted that according to Presidential Committee Against Proliferation of small arms and light weapons, gun control laws in operation in the country are obsolete.
On the need to create a commission, she stated that Nigeria and Gambia are the only nations without a National Commission Against proliferation of arms, adding that to set up a commission, the force of law is required which could only be done by the National Assembly.
The bill if passed to law, intends to promote removal of arms from society through collection, storage, destruction, management and stockpiling of small arms.
The commission is to regulate local manufacturers of light weapons, registration of arms to be used in peace keeping operations, and establish programmes of action to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms.
Speaking on the motion, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) said that as important as the bill is, it fails to make provision for punishment to offenders of the law.
Also speaking on the bill, Sodiq Ibrahim (APC, Adamawa) averred that the killings across the country is because of the ease of accessing dangerous weapons, be it by bandits, insurgents, militants, kidnappers.
He added that the existing laws on illegal weapons are insufficient to deter people from breaching the law. He added that the existing law makes provision for a fine of N1,000 or jail term of 6 months.
The bill was referred to committee on National Security and Intelligence for further legislative action.
