The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has said the federal government is investigating Gulf of Guinea (GoG) as a major route for arms trafficking into Nigeria.
Ribadu made this known at a two-day seminar on Climate Change and the Changing Dynamics of Arms Proliferation and Insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea: Nigeria in Perspective, Tuesday in Abuja.
The seminar was organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Office of the National Security Adviser in Collaboration with the Global Network for Human Development.
Ribadu was represented by the Director of External Affairs, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Ibrahim Babani.
He said the GoG had abundant natural resources and underground mineral deposits boasting of an estimated 24 billion barrels of crude oil reserves, contributing roughly five million barrels daily to the global crude chain.
According to him, the region consists of 16 countries including Nigeria, spread along its roughly 6,000 kilometers of unbroken coastline.
“It is the maritime gateway between Africa and the rest of the world. However, the lucrative nature of the GoG in terms of natural resources, movement of ships and related economic activities attracts strange bedfellows and men of the underworld with ulterior motives pursuing nefarious activities in the GoG.
“Organised crime syndicates are involved in various devastating crimes, notably; drug trafficking, human trafficking, oil theft, kidnapping & hostage taking of ship crews, piracy, smuggling of contraband goods.
“In this category lies the smuggling of Small Arms and Light Weapons by international crime syndicates.
“Though there have been reports on the proliferation of SALW through the Maritime Sector, the government is interested in further interrogation of the GoG as a major route for arms trafficking,’’ he said.
The NSA said there was need for additional interrogation of the nexus between climate change, armed violence and the proliferation of arms within the countries of the GoG.
He said that SALWs had long been identified as both a root cause and enabler of insecurity globally.
According to him, the threat posed by their availability in the hands of non-state actors and international crime syndicates have left countries grappling with finding solutions to combating the challenges.
He said that all 14 reported kidnappings of crew members and 75 per cent of crew members held hostage in 2023 happened in the GoG.
“Additionally, two crew members were injured, reinforcing the GoG’s reputation as treacherous waters for seafarers.
“According to the same report, this maritime threat has evolved from the looting and hijacking of oil cargos to the kidnapping of seafarers, bringing the root cause of the problem sharply into focus,’’ he added.
In his remarks, Director-General NCCSALW DIG Johnson Kokumo(retd) said the impact of climate change had become a significant contributor to displacement and instability in various regions, particularly the Gulf of Guinea.
Kokumo said it was also a significant driver of instability and conflict in vulnerable regions across the world with criminal networks exploiting the situation.
According to him, this instability has in turn, fuelled the demand for arms, contributing to the rise in the proliferation of small arms and light weapons
He said the 2-Day seminar would provide an invaluable opportunity to examine the complex linkages.
“We must reflect on how the changing climate exacerbates insecurity, weakens governance and allows the illegal arms trade to thrive.
“Furthermore, we need to explore how we can respond to these emerging threats more effectively by fostering stronger national and regional frameworks for arms control, environmental resilience and conflict mitigation.
“I assure you of the Centres commitment and resolve to ensure the menace of SALW is curbed,’’ he said.
The guest lecturer, Dr Dickson Orji, who is the President of GOLHD Centre, said that bulk of illicit arms in Nigeria were moved through the maritime domain.
Orji urged the government to pay more attention to the maritime arena in the fight against the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons in the country.
He added that the larger percentage of goods coming into the country were through the maritime, adding that more attention be given to the sector to ensure that all ships were properly inspected and certified.
He recommended continuous advocacy and stakeholder engagements, empowerment of the relevant agencies responsible for maritime security and building synergy between the security agencies in the sector. (NAN)