Security agencies, including Defence Headquarters, Nigeria Police, Nigerian Immigration Service and Importers Association of Nigeria (IMAN) have supported the move by the House of Representatives to give legal backing to the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
The stakeholders spoke at a public hearing on; ‘ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, their Ammunition and other Related Matters (Ratification and Enforcement) Bill’ in Abuja on Monday.
In his presentation, , Lucky Irabor , chief of defence staff said the Bill was a right step in a right direction considering the security threat proliferation of small arms and light weapons posed to Nigeria.
Irabor, who was represented by T. O. Yusuf, air vice marshall however observed that the bill intends to establish an agency with functions duplicative of the National Commission Against the Proliferation of Arms and Light weapons contained in another executive bill before the Parliament.
He said: “On proposed bill, it was well received and it is pertinent to state that DHQ is of the view that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria poses a systemic threat to the nation’s long term socio-economic development as well as security,”.
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On his part, , Usman Alkali-Baba, Inspector General of Police supported the enactment of relevant laws and regulations to curtail illicit manufacturing, trafficking and diversion of arms, ammunition and other conventional arms which are major threats to security in the country
Represented by Assistant Inspector General in charge of Armament, Mohammed Lawan, Alkali-Baba said: the Nigerian Police Force encourages law enforcement agencies of ECOWAS member states to support joint action both at international, regional and national level to stamp out the rising illicit traffic link to organized crimes and terrorist activities”.
In a position paper, IMAN said the bill should be expeditiously passed into law while various organisations that will complement the government security agencies for the smooth operation of the proposed Commission be carried along.
Chijioke Okoro, IMAN special taskforce chairman, said the association and relevant bodies be assigned a role in the Commission for effective fight against the proliferation of small arms and Iight weapons in the country.
According to him; “it is internationally known that Importers Association is strategically placed at a vantage position to help government checkmate all categories of importation of goods and services whether legal or illegal and thereby serve as perfect infiltrator to filter all imperfections elements right from the countries of origin”.
In his welcome address, Chairman House Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements, Ossai Nicholas said the Bill seeks to give legal effects in Nigeria to the ECOWA
Convention to checkmate the security challenges precipitated by small arms and light weapons proliferation.
