Daud Olatunji
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has identified the proliferation of small arms and light weapons as a major driver of electoral violence, warning that the illegal flow of firearms across Nigeria’s borders poses a threat to peaceful, free and fair elections in 2027.
Disu said tackling arms trafficking and dismantling illicit weapons supply networks would be critical to protecting voters, electoral officials and election materials ahead of the next general elections.
The police chief made the remarks at the opening of a five-day Small Arms and Light Weapons Identification and Tracing (SALW-IT) simulation programme organised to strengthen the capacity of security personnel to identify, mark, register and trace illicit firearms and ammunition.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday.
According to the IGP, illegally acquired weapons are frequently used to intimidate voters, harass political opponents, disrupt polling activities and attack electoral personnel, thereby threatening public confidence in the democratic process.
He expressed concern over the movement of illicit weapons through porous borders and established trafficking routes, noting that the scale of the challenge required coordinated action among countries.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday.
According to the IGP, illegally acquired weapons are frequently used to intimidate voters, harass political opponents, disrupt polling activities and attack electoral personnel, thereby threatening public confidence in the democratic process.
He expressed concern over the movement of illicit weapons through porous borders and established trafficking routes, noting that the scale of the challenge required coordinated action among countries.
Disu said effective weapons identification and tracing would enable investigators to uncover trafficking networks, identify their financiers and track the routes through which firearms reach criminal groups and political thugs.
He said, “Effective weapons tracing enables investigators to uncover trafficking networks, financiers and supply routes, allowing targeted action against those who arm criminals and political thugs.
“Disrupting this supply chain ahead of the 2027 polls will help protect voters, election officials and sustain the conditions necessary for peaceful, free and fair elections.”
The IGP called for stronger regional and continental cooperation among security agencies, particularly through timely intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations and mutual assistance in identifying and apprehending suspects involved in cross-border crimes.
He stressed that such collaboration must be conducted through established legal and institutional frameworks to prevent criminal suspects from exploiting national borders to evade justice.
The five-day programme features technical training and practical simulations at the Nigeria Police Simulation Centre, with participants expected to develop the skills required to trace weapons and support investigations into illicit arms trafficking.
Participants were drawn from Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, Mali, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Niger, Libya, Benin and the Republic of the Congo.
The programme comes as preparations for the 2027 general elections make security, the prevention of political violence and the protection of the electoral process key concerns for law enforcement agencies.
Disu’s remarks underscore the police’s stated position that curbing the circulation of illegal firearms, alongside cross-border intelligence cooperation, is essential to reducing the risks of violence before, during and after elections.
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