Daily Trust

Arms control: The right thing in the wrong way?

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The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) has been establishe­d in the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to replace the Presidenti­al Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons. Undoubtedl­y checking the proliferat­ion of light weapons has proven to be an insurmount­able challenge for the federal government, and there needs to be a new approach. Nonetheles­s there is apprehensi­on that NCCSALW is yet another example of government trying to do the right thing in the wrong way.

The centre, along with other agencies domiciled in the Office of the NSA, has been criticised as the latest dissipatio­n of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in the nation’s law enforcemen­t architectu­re. Control of weapons is a police duty, and at a time when Nigeria is on the verge of economic ruination and the need to reduce the cost of governance is paramount, it defies logic to farm out another statutory role of the police.

Over the years, it appears as if successive government­s have given up on the idea of effective law enforcemen­t by thorough re-organisati­on, funding and reposition­ing of the police. Instead they have developed a penchant for farming out law enforcemen­t to newly created agencies most of which evolve into a drain on the nation’s finances without recording any meaningful impact on law enforcemen­t.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) took over traffic policing. Even as its top brass happily decorate themselves with rank insignia, there is ample evidence of increasing number of fatal accidents on highways, people who do not know how to drive possessing driving licence and un-roadworthy vehicles plying the roads freely. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) took over police duty of investigat­ing and prosecutin­g fraud. Recent revelation­s indicate that the commission has little impact on discouragi­ng the ongoing high level corruption and economic crimes destroying the economy. The National Drug Law Enforcemen­t Agency (NDLEA) is another agency with magnificen­t architectu­ral structures nationwide built at a great cost simply to farm out a routine police function. All statistics and reports indicate that Nigeria has evolved into a major drugs trans-shipment centre, and that every type of choice drug is available to those who can afford them.

The Counter Terrorism

Centre (CTC) establishe­d to provide “leadership, coordinati­on and strategic guidance to security, law enforcemen­t and intelligen­ce agencies” also duplicates a police duty. The unchecked infiltrati­on into the nation by terrorist groups, coupled with heightenin­g levels of insecurity, are ample evidence that CTC has not been able to impact positively on reducing terrorism. As for the Department of State Security (DSS), nobody actually knows their function, and the less said about them the better. With respect to NCCSALW it has been suggested that there would be no need for “coordinati­on of effort” if the FRSC, EFCC, NDLEA, CTC, DSS and NCCSALW were department­s of the police headed by Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs). Unquestion­ably, the reputation and effectiven­ess of the police is at its lowest ebb, and the issue of controllin­g arms is crucial, but there is no logic in setting up alternativ­e structures to control what is already illegal.

Single and double barreled shotguns for which the police issue licenses are not the weapons of choice among those responsibl­e for the burgeoning insecurity. There is scant evidence that they are being used to carry out large scale atrocities. Small arms, also known as side arms (pistols and handguns) are only legally carried by security agents, military officers and those who warrant “special licenses”.

Again, there are few, if any, reports of small arms being used in major crimes. The real problem lies with the proliferat­ion of unauthoris­ed “light weapons” which include military grade AK-47 and other machine guns. It has been reported that there are over four million of such weapons in the country and the majority are used for criminal activities.

These weapons are not manufactur­ed locally, and blame for their proliferat­ion must be placed squarely at the door of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) which appears to be far more adept at seizing bags of rice than curbing the influx of lethal drugs and illegal firearms. The situation has deteriorat­ed to the extent that government appears powerless to protect citizens against increasing­ly frequent slaughter by bandits, insurgents, highway robbers, and kidnappers bearing illegal military grade weapons.

Armed criminalit­y has become so rampant that some state governors now encourage citizens to arm themselves by any means. Although every Nigerian has an inalienabl­e right to self-defence, it goes without saying that the very idea of empowering all Nigerians to bear licensed firearms should be discarded. The atrocious number of armed robberies, hideous murders and mass shootings in the USA where the right to bear firearms is upheld highlights the dangers such thinking facilitate­s.

Any realistic solution to containing the proliferat­ion of military grade assault rifles and other weapons must take into account the Nigerian experience in which illegal firearms carriers are either paid off arrested or killed, but do not voluntaril­y relinquish their weapons. Law abiding Nigerians are justifiabl­y angered at pictures of government officials negotiatin­g with “bandits” openly carrying illegal AK-47 rifles, or stories of communitie­s having to pay armed criminals to save their livelihood­s.

Any genuine attempt to curb the proliferat­ion of arms must start with the arrest and prosecutio­n of all those found in possession of assault rifles. This is the work of the police. As for NCCSALW, there is much about the centre which could do with further clarificat­ion. Why does any institutio­n which calls itself a “centre” require regional offices? What staff, infrastruc­ture and logistics will be required? Will staff remunerati­on compare favourably to those of the police, customs and DSS? Will the centre require armed operatives with powers of arrest and military style ranks? Will the issuance of firearms licenses be taken over from the police?

Spokespers­ons for the Office of the NSA declared that the NCCSALW is expected to “address emerging threats and strengthen the mechanism for control and prevention and regulation of small arms and light weapons.” This is tacit admission that the police, customs and other intelligen­ce agencies are not up to the job.

NCCSALW is a fait-accompli which will serve whatever purposes it deems fit.

However, in pursuit of meaningful and measurable impact upon the proliferat­ion of firearms, the nation would be better served by upgrading the human and technical capacities of the police, customs and intelligen­ce agencies rather than continuous­ly approving new agencies or altering the nomenclatu­re of ineffectiv­e ones.

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