The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has warned its officers against dealing illegally in firearms and ammunition, saying personnel found involved in such activities will be dismissed and prosecuted.
The warning came as more than 150 armourers and arms commanders from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory began a week-long national retreat on the management of weapons and ammunition.
The retreat opened at the NSCDC national headquarters in Abuja on Monday, according to the Corps.
Commandant General Ahmed Abubakar Audi said the Corps would impose its maximum penalties for breaches of arms safety rules and other unethical conduct.
“The Corps will deal ruthlessly with any officer involved in illegal dealing in arms and ammunition, such as gun running, arms renting, arms hiring, and borrowing,” Prof. Audi warned.
“Henceforth, the punishment for involvement in illegal arms activity is outright dismissal and prosecution. Personnel are expected to display the highest levels of discipline and operational integrity.”
Why the focus on armouries matters
The management of firearms is a critical security issue for any agency whose personnel carry weapons.
The NSCDC is authored by law to bear firearms in the performance of its duties.
Its responsibilities include protecting lives and critical infrastructure and supporting other agencies in maintaining internal security.
The Corps traces its origins to the civil defence organisation created in Lagos in 1967.
It received statutory backing in 2003, while amendments in 2007 expanded its powers and responsibilities.
This means that weapons issued to NSCDC personnel are not simply equipment belonging to individual officers.
They form part of a state-controlled stockpile that must be accounted for and protected from diversion.
Assistant Commandant General Opara Charles Kenechukwu, who heads the NSCDC Centre for Civil Defence Studies, said armourers had a particular responsibility to maintain that control.
“Every weapon entrusted to the NSCDC must remain fully accounted for, properly maintained, securely stored, and deployed strictly in accordance with established laws, regulations, and operational procedures,” ACG Opara stated.
Nigeria already has a national arms-control framework
The retreat comes amid wider efforts by the Nigerian government to tighten controls over small arms and light weapons.
The Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act 2024 established the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The law gives the centre responsibility for coordinating efforts to control illicit weapons and includes provisions on stockpile security, inventory management, record-keeping and sanctions for theft or loss.
The National Centre has also been expanding its work with arms-bearing agencies.
In June 2026, it said it had trained 90 personnel from 15 security agencies in physical security and stockpile management.
The centre identified porous borders, local arms production and leakages from government stockpiles as sources of illicit weapons.
In April, the centre said it destroyed 2,800 illicit, obsolete, unserviceable and decommissioned weapons.
It said more than 16,000 weapons had been destroyed since its establishment in 2021.
The measures reflect a broader concern that weapons can move from legitimate government stockpiles into criminal networks.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has warned that poor control of national stocks and confiscated firearms can contribute to illicit supply.
It also stresses the importance of marking, recording and tracing weapons.
A previous NSCDC warning
The latest directive is not the first time the NSCDC has tightened its rules around firearms.
In a previous directive, Commandant General Audi said arms and ammunition should not be decentralised across units and departments but returned to central armouries controlling their use.
He also said personnel should not receive weapons or be deployed on armed assignments without evidence of appropriate arms training.
The Corps had also warned against arms racketeering and accidental discharges and said it planned additional screening and training for personnel who carry firearms.
The new retreat therefore needs to be judged not only by the strength of the latest warning but by whether the Corps can demonstrate that its rules are being enforced.
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Beyond training, what should happen?
The NSCDC says the retreat will also address friction between departments and improve cooperation among arms commanders.
That may be important operationally, but effective arms management requires more than cooperation.
It requires reliable inventories, regular inspections, secure storage, documented transfers, ammunition accounting and prompt investigation of missing or misused weapons.
Nigeria's new arms-control law provides for a national register and requires arms-bearing agencies to submit records relating to weapons used during peacekeeping operations.
It also places responsibility for secure stockpile management on the national arms-control system.
The public interest, therefore, lies in what happens after the retreat.
What happens next?
The week-long retreat will bring together armourers and arms commanders from across the federation to discuss weapons and ammunition management.
The opening session also featured remarks from senior NSCDC officers, including Deputy Commandants General Nnamdi Nwinyi, Zakari Ibrahim Ningi and Pedro Awili Ideba, as well as the Commandant of Armament, Michael Eneghela.
The Corps also presented awards to its Commandant General and several officers and units for leadership and operational performance.
But the central issue will remain accountability.
For Nigerians, tighter control of firearms within a government security agency could reduce the risk of weapons being lost, misused or diverted.
The more important test will be whether the NSCDC can show that its warning is followed by consistent enforcement, transparent record-keeping and evidence that weapons entrusted to its officers remain where they are supposed to be.
Source: NSCDC statement; additional context from the NSCDC, NCCSALW, UNODC and Nigerian legal sources.
