The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, has called for the urgent establishment of a centralized framework to manage the retrieval of small arms and light weapons (SALW) following the conclusion of judicial proceedings.
Speaking at a strategic seminar organized by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in Abeokuta, the Commissioner warned that the current practice of storing recovered illicit arms in various agency armouries as court exhibits poses long-term security risks.
CP Ojajuni described the proliferation of illicit weaponry among non-state actors as the primary engine driving criminality in the country. While he lauded the Nigeria Police Force and sibling agencies for their success in recovering illegal hardware, he pointed out a critical gap in the “post-judgment” phase.
According to the Commissioner, a significant volume of weapons remains in the custody of exhibit keepers across multiple security formations, necessitating a more proactive and coordinated retrieval mechanism led by the NCCSALW to ensure these arms are permanently removed from circulation.
The seminar, which focused on effective post-judgment management of SALW, was coordinated by the South-West Director of NCCSALW, retired CP Abiodun Alamutu. The event drew high-level representation from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Customs Service, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigerian Military, and the Ministry of Justice. Participants deliberated on harmonizing strategies to prevent the recycling of illicit arms and to improve the efficiency of arms control measures across the South-West region.
Reaffirming the Ogun State Command’s commitment to inter-agency synergy, CP Ojajuni emphasized that the security of lives and property depends heavily on the ability of stakeholders to close the loop on arms recovery. He commended the NCCSALW for the initiative, noting that sustained dialogue and strategic monitoring are essential to curbing the menace of small arms proliferation and ensuring that weapons seized by the state never find their way back into the hands of criminals.
