The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has raised the alarm over the risk of legally acquired weapons and ammunition being diverted from government stockpiles into the hands of criminals and other unauthorised groups across the region.
The warning was issued on Monday September 7, 2026 in Port Harcourt during the opening of a five-day capacity-building programme on physical security, stockpile management and property management for national security agencies.
Organised by the ECOWAS Small Arms Division in collaboration with the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies, the programme brought together personnel from the Nigerian Army, the Police and other security organisations.
Acting Head of the ECOWAS Small Arms Division, Abayomi Adeomi, said the regional discussion on illicit weapons must go beyond cross-border trafficking.
He identified the diversion of arms from legitimate government stockpiles as a major security vulnerability that demands sustained attention.
Adeomi listed accurate inventory systems, regular inspections, secure storage facilities, proper documentation, well-trained personnel and the timely destruction of obsolete or surplus weapons as critical measures to prevent theft, diversion and accidental explosions.
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The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) revealed that more than 17,000 weapons classified as illicit, unserviceable, obsolete, or decommissioned have been destroyed since the Centre was established in 2021, while over 20,000 rounds of illicit ammunition have also been destroyed within the same period.
South-South Zonal Director of the Centre, Alex Ebimiebo, who represented Director-General Johnson Kokumo at the event, said the continuous removal of such weapons from circulation reduces the chance of their diversion into the illicit market.
He stressed that the Centre continues to build the capacity of security and law enforcement agencies in weapons management, physical security, stockpile control, marking and tracing, record-keeping and disposal.
Ebimiebo also underscored the need for stronger international and regional cooperation, noting that the cross-border movement of illicit arms makes it impossible for any single country to solve the problem alone.
Representing the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Everest Okoro, Brigadier-General A.A. Bello warned that inadequate security around weapons and ammunition depots exposes personnel, neighbouring communities and national security to risks of theft, unauthorised access, diversion and accidental explosions.
