President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Babatunde Kokumo, as the new Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Ajuri Ngelale, Presidential Spokesman stated this in a statement on Tuesday
Kokumo, a retired Deputy Inspector General DIG of Police, is a seasoned and accomplished law enforcement professional with over 30 years of experience in crime prevention, management, analysis, and control.
He was Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja, from 2022 to 2023.
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The new Coordinator , will amongst others, oversee the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, their Ammunition and other Related Materials which was adopted on June 14, 2006.
The Convention prohibits all international transfers of small arms within the subregion unless a Member States obtains an exemption from the ECOWAS Secretariat.
Nigeria is a signatory to the instrument
For several years, Nigeria has become saturated with such weapons coming into the country from its unmanned borders
The President, according to the statement, expects that the new Coordinator will deploy his immense experience and expertise in efforts to revamp the Centre in Nigeria and evolve new strategies to bring lasting solutions to the menace of arms proliferation which is a significant driver of insecurity in the country.
