Niger Police reiterate readiness to strengthen partnership to combat proliferation of illicit small arms

The Commissioner Police Niger State Command,, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, has pledged the Command’s prepearedness to strengthen its partnership with the North Central Zonal Office of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) to combat the proliferation of illicit arms and ammunition in the state.

CP Elleman stated this  commitment when he received the Director-General of the NCCSALW, DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (rtd.), who paid a courtesy visit to the Niger State Police Command headquarters in Dutsen-Kura, Minna.

The Commissioner said the Command would sustain its existing working relationship with the Centre to ensure the effective recovery, control and eventual destruction of illicit arms and ammunition recovered from criminal elements.

He stated that the visit by the NCCSALW leadership would further strengthen the synergy between both institutions, assuring the Director-General of the Command’s unwavering support and cooperation in the collective effort to enhance public safety.

CP Elleman also pledged that all arms and ammunition recovered by the Command would be remitted to the Centre, through the appropriate channels, after the completion of investigations and other necessary procedures, in line with existing directives.

He expressed appreciation to DIG Kokumo for the visit and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustained collaboration with the NCCSALW in tackling the proliferation of illicit weapons across Niger State.

Speaking earlier, the Director-General of the NCCSALW, DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (rtd.), described the visit as both official and symbolic, recalling his previous professional relationship with CP Elleman during their active service in the Nigeria Police Force.

Kokumo commended the Commissioner for his intellectual capacity, professionalism and leadership qualities, describing their reunion as particularly significant.

The Director-General, who was accompanied by the Centre’s North Central Zonal Director, Mr Abdullahi Adamu Eneche, and other officials from the Centre’s headquarters and zonal office, also commended the existing cooperation between the Niger State Police Command and the NCCSALW.

He emphasized the importance of sustained inter-agency collaboration and intelligence sharing in tackling the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, which he said continues to fuel banditry and other violent crimes across the country.

Kokumo noted that the Federal Government established the Centre as part of efforts to tackle the proliferation of illicit arms, with its legal and institutional framework subsequently strengthened to enhance its effectiveness.

According to him, the Centre operates through zonal offices across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with provisions for state offices in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to strengthen coordination and operational effectiveness.

The NCCSALW Director-General also commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, for his continued support and cooperation with the Centre.

He revealed  that the Nigeria Police Force had so far remitted more than 11,000 recovered arms to the Centre for destruction, thereby preventing the weapons from being recirculated into the hands of criminal elements.

Kokumo further commended the IGP’s directive to all State Police Commands to transfer recovered arms and ammunition to the NCCSALW, describing the initiative as a major contribution to national security.

He expressed appreciation for the warm reception accorded him and his delegation and called for deeper collaboration, intelligence sharing and information exchange between the Niger State Police Command and the Centre to achieve their shared security objectives.