NCCSLAW Warns Against Diversion of Official Weapons, Calls for Stronger Stockpile Management

The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSLAW) has warned security agencies against the diversion of officially procured weapons, citing serious implications for national security.

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

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

He disclosed that assessments showed a significant proportion of illegal arms in circulation may have originated from official stockpiles over time.

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

According to him, despite intensified efforts by security agencies to curb illicit arms proliferation, poor stockpile management remains a persistent challenge requiring urgent reforms.

Kokumo stressed that 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 fuels criminal activities and complicates counter-terrorism and internal security operations across the country.

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

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

He added that 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,” Kokumo said.

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

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

Nyaga explained that the initiative aimed to equip personnel with modern skills for effective armoury management and prevention of weapon diversion.

He said the training would be conducted in three phases, starting with armoury stock keepers across participating security agencies.

According to him, the first phase would focus on practical skills in handling, documentation and accountability of weapons and ammunition, while the second phase would 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 designed not to highlight capacity gaps, but to strengthen and optimise existing systems, expressing optimism that it would enable agencies to sustain internal capacity-building independently.