By SUMAILA OGBAJE

The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSLAW) has warned against the diversion of officially procured weapons.

The National Coordinator of the centre, retired DIG Johnson Kokumo, gave the warning at the inauguration of a capacity development programme on Arms Physical Security and Stockpile Management for arms-bearing security agencies in Abuja on Monday.

Kokumo said lapses in weapons management continued to undermine national security efforts, stressing that weak control systems had created dangerous vulnerabilities in armoury oversight.

He said assessments indicated that a significant proportion of illegal arms in circulation may have originated from official stockpiles over time, raising concerns over internal leakage points.

“A significant portion of illegal arms in circulation today passed through official channels at some point,” he said.

Kokumo noted that while security agencies had intensified efforts against illicit arms proliferation, weaknesses in stockpile management remained a persistent challenge requiring urgent reform.

According to him, weapons in official custody must be properly secured, documented and strictly monitored to prevent diversion to criminal and armed groups.

He warned that any leakage from official inventories not only fueled criminality but also complicated counter-terrorism and internal security operations nationwide.

According to him, weapons issued to official armouries must be prevented from slipping into the hands of enemies of the state.

“If we fail to properly account for these weapons, we are indirectly empowering criminal networks and terrorist groups operating within and outside our borders.

“There must be deliberate efforts to secure and account for all official weapons inventories across the services,” he stressed.

Kokumo identified poor record-keeping, weak oversight and inadequate storage systems as key gaps that must be urgently addressed.

He said the centre was collaborating with national and international partners to strengthen audit systems, enhance stockpile security and improve compliance frameworks across security agencies.

“Our goal is to ensure accountability, transparency and effective control of weapons within government custody.

“Securing official weapons is not optional; it is a critical component of national security architecture,” he said.

He reaffirmed the centre’s commitment to curbing illicit arms flow and strengthening institutional control mechanisms to reduce diversion risks.

Also speaking, Mr Jacob Nyaga, Operations Manager, Halo Trust, said the programme was organised in collaboration with NCCSLAW and funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Nyaga said the initiative was aimed at equipping personnel with modern skills for effective armoury management and prevention of weapon diversion.

He said the training would run in three phases, beginning with armoury stock keepers across participating security agencies.

According to him, the first phase will focus on practical skills in handling, documentation and accountability of weapons and ammunition.

“The second phase will address leadership-level stockpile management, including risk assessment and identification of operational gaps.”

Nyaga added that the final phase would adopt a train-the-trainer model to sustain institutional capacity within security agencies.

“In this phase, participants will learn how to develop training curricula, instructional materials and training management plans,” he said.

He noted that the programme was not an indication of capacity gaps, but an effort to strengthen and optimise existing systems.

He expressed optimism that the initiative would enable agencies sustain internal capacity-building without external dependence. (NAN)