Senator Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi Central) has accused men of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) of conniving with arms dealers to smuggle in small arms into the country through the borders.
Aliero, a former governor of Kebbi State, is also a former customs officer.
He spoke on the floor of the Senate while speaking in support of a bill seeking to establish the National Commission against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons. The bill is sponsored by Senator Smart Adeyemi (APC, Kogi West).
Aliero added that if the bill is not passed into law by the National Assembly, “violence will continue unabated.”
The NCS was not immediately available for comment on the senator’s allegation. Senators enjoy some privilege over comments they make on the floor of the National Assembly.
Another lawmaker, Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP, Taraba South), in his contribution, cited the United States as a country without strong gun control laws, adding that “they are paying dearly for it today”.
“It is better to have a control of arms, than allow every dick and Harry to possess arms. In doing this, we must do it with genuine intention,” Bwacha said.
Also contributing, Senator Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa West), lamented that the proliferation of small arms has become a thriving business because those involved in the illicit trade are not apprehended by the relevant security agencies.
The bill has scaled second reading on the floor during plenary and was referred by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to the Committee on National Security and Intelligence, to report back in four weeks.
