Nigeria is grappling with a deepening security crisis as over six million illegal small arms and light weapons are now in the possession of non-state actors, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) has warned.
According to the agency, the figure represents 70 per cent of the 11 million illicit arms circulating in West Africa. The revelation was made on Thursday in Calabar by the South-South Zonal Director of the NCCSALW, Alex Ebimiebo, during the Naval Warfare Course 9 Inter-Agency seminar organised by the Naval War College.
Presenting a paper titled “Strengthening Security Agencies’ Collaboration to Counter Illicit Arms Proliferation for Enhanced National Security in Nigeria”, Ebimiebo described the proliferation of illegal weapons as one of the primary drivers of Nigeria’s security and humanitarian crises.
He disclosed that the scourge has displaced at least 2.2 million people within the country and forced another 26,000 into refugee camps in neighbouring nations.
“This is not just a security problem – it’s a national survival challenge. The proliferation has fuelled violent crimes, economic instability, and stalled peace-building efforts,” he said, stressing that the fight must involve “the entire society,” with security agencies, communities, and civil groups working together.
The Commandant of the Naval War College, Rear Admiral Akinola Oludude, traced the surge in illicit arms since 2020 to Nigeria’s porous borders, which stretch 4,470 kilometres across Benin, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, as well as its 853-kilometre vulnerable maritime boundary along the Gulf of Guinea.
Citing a 2021 NCCSALW survey, Oludude warned that the country’s ballooning stockpile of illegal weapons is fuelling terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, and armed robbery.
“No single agency can tackle this alone. What we need is sustained, multi-agency collaboration backed by intelligence sharing and modern technology,” he said.
Similarly, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Kennedy Ezete, urged participants to ensure that recommendations from the seminar translate into concrete action.
He emphasised the need for investment in intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation, and continuous public sensitisation.
The NCCSALW has repeatedly cautioned that unless urgent, coordinated steps are taken, the unchecked spread of illegal arms will further entrench insecurity, displace more citizens, and escalate Nigeria’s humanitarian crisis.
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