The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has called for stronger regional cooperation to combat the proliferation of illicit arms, warning that the illegal weapons trade continues to fuel terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and organised crime across Africa.
Disu made the call on Monday, October 12, 2026, while declaring open the Small Arms and Light Weapons Identification and Tracing (SALW-IT) Simulation Programme in Abuja.
The five-day training, scheduled to run from October 12 to 16, is designed to strengthen participants’ capacity to identify, mark, register and trace small arms, light weapons and ammunition.
Participants are drawn from Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, Mali, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Niger, Libya, Benin and the Republic of the Congo.
The programme combines technical instruction with practical exercises, including simulations at the Nigeria Police Simulation Centre.
Speaking at the opening, the IGP stressed that effective weapons identification and tracing could help investigators uncover arms-trafficking networks, their financiers and supply routes, making it easier for law enforcement agencies to target those involved in the illegal trade.
He also highlighted the importance of the training to preparations for Nigeria’s forthcoming elections, noting that disrupting illicit arms supplies would help prevent electoral violence and intimidation.
According to him, limiting the circulation of illegal weapons would help protect voters and electoral personnel while creating a safer environment for peaceful, free and fair elections.
Disu said the knowledge acquired by participants would be extended to frontline police officers through structured training and knowledge-sharing across police commands and formations.
He explained that this approach would improve officers’ capacity to identify, trace and recover weapons, develop actionable intelligence, and support routine policing and election-security operations.
The police chief further called for closer cooperation among African countries through timely intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations and mutual legal assistance to locate and lawfully apprehend suspects involved in transnational crimes.
He warned that criminals should not be allowed to exploit national borders to evade justice, stressing that cooperation through established legal and institutional channels was essential to addressing cross-border security threats.
The IGP also disclosed that police chiefs from West and East African countries would meet to deliberate on crime-related challenges and develop strategies for tackling transborder criminal activities.
The discussions, he said, would contribute to efforts to develop coordinated responses to shared security threats across the continent.
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 exchange operational experiences, establish lasting professional relationships and apply the knowledge gained to strengthen security operations in their respective countries.
The IGP reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to regional and continental arms-control initiatives, pledging sustained institutional support and operational cooperation to translate the training into improved public safety and election security.
