The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has called for stronger regional cooperation in tracking illicit firearms, warning that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons continues to fuel terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and other organised crimes across Africa.
Disu made the call on Monday while opening a five-day regional training programme on the identification and tracing of small arms and light weapons in Abuja.
The programme, which runs from October 12 to 16, 2026, brings together participants from 12 African countries to strengthen their capacity to identify, mark, register and trace illicit firearms and ammunition.
Police spokesman, CSP Ani Iniedu, confirmed the development, listing the participating countries as Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, Mali, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Niger, Libya, Benin and the Republic of the Congo.
In his opening remarks, the IGP said effective weapons identification and tracing were critical to dismantling arms-trafficking networks, identifying their financiers and establishing the supply routes through which illegal firearms reach criminal groups.
He stressed that the initiative was particularly important as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, noting that disrupting illicit arms supplies would help prevent electoral violence, intimidation and threats to voters and electoral officials.
According to him, the knowledge acquired by participants would be cascaded to officers across police commands and formations through structured training and knowledge-sharing programmes.
He said the exercise would strengthen the capacity of police personnel to identify and recover illegal weapons, trace their origins, generate actionable intelligence and support routine policing and election-security operations.
Disu also emphasised the need for stronger regional and continental collaboration through timely intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations and mutual legal assistance to track suspects involved in cross-border criminal activities.
He warned that criminal networks could exploit national borders to evade justice if law-enforcement agencies failed to coordinate operations and exchange relevant information through established legal and institutional channels.
The IGP further disclosed that police chiefs from West and East African countries would meet to discuss crime-related challenges and develop strategies for tackling transnational criminal activities.
The proposed deliberations, he said, would complement ongoing efforts to strengthen coordinated responses to shared security threats across the continent.
The five-day training combines technical instruction with practical exercises, including simulations at the Nigeria Police Simulation Centre, to enhance participants’ operational competence.
Disu commended the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL), the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC), INTERPOL, relevant African Union entities and experts from the German Armed Forces Verification Centre for supporting the programme.
He urged participants to maximise the opportunity to exchange operational experiences, build professional networks and apply the knowledge gained to strengthen security operations in their respective countries.
The IGP reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to regional arms-control initiatives, pledging sustained institutional support and operational cooperation to translate the training into improved public safety, effective crime prevention and enhanced election security.
