The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on 15th July 2026, received the Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) and members of the Centre’s executive management team at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The courtesy visit aimed to transition the collaborative relationship between the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Centre from an ad-hoc arrangement to a permanent, structured, and institutionalised partnership.
The NCCSALW delegation was led by the Director-General, DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (rtd), mni, NPM, PhD, accompanied by senior directors and officers of the Centre.
Speaking during the visit, the Director-General commended the Inspector-General on the successful implementation of his Six-Point Agenda and its impact on internal security nationwide.
He noted that the Centre’s mandate aligns with the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, which obligates member states to establish dedicated institutions to prevent, combat, and eradicate the illicit arms trade. He disclosed that over 10,000 illicit weapons have been destroyed since the Centre’s inception, including a significant number recovered through NPF operations.
In his response, IGP Disu stressed that reducing the volume of illegal weapons in circulation directly translates to safer conditions for officers on the front lines.
He outlined immediate areas of collaboration, including real-time intelligence sharing on firearms trafficking routes and syndicates, stronger accountability protocols and periodic audits of police armouries, and a coordinated crackdown on local blacksmiths and artisans engaged in illegal weapon fabrication.
He further referenced the Force’s ongoing civil disarmament operations ahead of the general elections, noting that closer collaboration with the NCCSALW in this area would strengthen outcomes.
On training, the IGP commended the Centre for its specialised support to police armourers and expressed the Force’s interest in expanding such programmes to enhance armoury security nationwide.
The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to deepening institutional partnerships with agencies like the NCCSALW as part of its broader efforts to curb arms proliferation, strengthen armoury discipline, and secure lives and property across the country.
