By Atlantic Reports

Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu has called for stronger international cooperation against illicit arms trafficking, warning that small arms and light weapons are among the most potent drivers of electoral violence.

Disu spoke at the opening of a five-day Small Arms and Light Weapons Identification and Tracing simulation programme, according to a statement issued on Monday by Force Public Relations Officer CSP Ani Iniedu.

The police chief said illegally acquired weapons were used to intimidate voters, harass political opponents, disrupt polling and attack electoral personnel and materials, undermining confidence in the democratic process.

He argued that disrupting the supply of those weapons would be central to safeguarding Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

“Effective weapons tracing enables investigators to uncover trafficking networks, financiers and supply routes, allowing targeted action against those who arm criminals and political thugs,” he said.

Tracing weapons across borders

Disu said many illicit weapons entered Nigeria through porous borders and trafficking routes that no country could tackle alone.

He called for timely intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations and mutual assistance in locating and lawfully apprehending suspects involved in cross-border crimes.

Such cooperation, he said, must operate through established legal and institutional channels to prevent suspects from exploiting national borders to evade justice.

“Disrupting this supply chain ahead of the 2027 polls will help protect voters, election officials and sustain the conditions necessary for peaceful, free and fair elections,” he said.

Training for investigators

The programme is designed to strengthen participants’ ability to identify, mark, register and trace small arms, light weapons and ammunition.

Disu said technical instruction would be combined with practical exercises at the Nigeria Police Simulation Centre.

Participants were 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 statement did not provide figures on weapons linked to electoral violence or specify operational targets for disrupting trafficking before the elections.

The practical measure of the training will be whether participating agencies use those skills and cross-border partnerships to identify supply networks and support lawful investigations. For voters and election workers, the intended outcome is safer participation in the electoral process.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.