The United Nations has disclosed that Nigeria is fast becoming a major destination for arms and ammunition in Africa.
Reports indicate that over 350 million or 70 per cent of an estimated 500 million of weapons said to be circulating in West Africa were concentrated in Nigeria.
This was disclosed by Olatokunbo Ige who is the director of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) at the ongoing National Consultation on Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) in Abuja which was organised by the Agency and Presidential Committee on Smalls Arms and Light Weapons (PRESCOM).
She revealed that the circulation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) was a threat to national security and to lives and properties.
She said: “The illicit proliferation of SALW has had a dramatic impact on peace and security in Africa, threatening not only the existence of the state, but also the livelihoods of millions of people across the continent
“Nigerian is one of the countries that is experiencing some of the most devastating effects of the proliferation of SALW as a result of spillover effect of the recent crises in Libya, and Mali as well as unresolved internal conflicts in different parts of the country especially in the North East, Niger Delta and Southern regions.”
She said this has brought the need to check the flow of weapons though effective management.
“It is widely acknowledged that one of the major factors contributing to the illicit proliferation of arms is the ineffective stockpile management.”
She added the lack of checks has resulted in a high flow of weapons to the hands of Boko Haram in the north east and militants in the Niger Delta region.