Proliferation of small arms and light weapons is a major factor in prolonged armed conflicts across ECOWAS member states, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, has said.
He said this on Monday in Abuja at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreement on a bill to tackle arms proliferation.
Rpresented by the AIG in charge of Armament, Mohammed Lawan, the IGP urged law enforcement agencies of ECOWAS member states to support joint action both at international, regional and national level to curtail the rising illicit traffic link to organized crimes and terrorist activities.
Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, however, stressed the need to curb proliferation of small arms and ammunition in the Nigeria and West Africa.
He said the military was of the view that proliferation of small arms and light weapons posed a systemic threat to the nation’s long term socio-economic development and security.
Chairman, Special Task Force, Importers Association of Nigeria, Chijioke Okoro said 70 percent of illegal importation of light weapons and small arms could be curtailed by the association if well harnessed, regulated and engaged to perform such roles.
The chairman of the committee, Ossai Nicholas, had said out of over 400 treaties and agreements Nigeria signed, only 10 or 11 had been domesticated.
