The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to election security and regional cooperation in tackling illicit arms trafficking across Africa.
Disu gave the assurance on Monday, October 12, 2026, while declaring open a five-day Small Arms and Light Weapons Identification and Tracing (SALW-IT) Simulation Programme in Abuja.
The programme, which runs 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 12 African countries, including Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, Mali, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Niger, Libya, Benin and the Republic of the Congo.
The training combines technical instruction with practical exercises, including simulations at the Nigeria Police Simulation Centre.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the IGP described the proliferation of illicit arms as a major threat to peace and security across Africa, noting that it fuels terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and organised crime.
He said effective weapons identification and tracing would help investigators uncover trafficking networks, financiers and supply routes, thereby enabling security agencies to take targeted action against illegal arms trafficking.
Disu 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 while protecting voters and electoral personnel.
According to him, the knowledge and skills acquired during the programme would be extended to officers across police commands and formations through structured training and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
He explained that the initiative would strengthen officers’ capacity to identify, trace and recover weapons, generate actionable intelligence and support routine policing and election-security operations.
The police chief further called for stronger regional and continental cooperation through timely intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations and mutual legal assistance to locate and apprehend suspects involved in transnational crimes.
He stressed that cooperation through established legal and institutional channels was essential to preventing criminals from exploiting national borders to evade justice.
Disu also disclosed plans for Inspectors-General of Police from West and East African countries to meet and deliberate on crime-related challenges, with a view to developing strategies for addressing transborder criminal activities.
He said such engagements would contribute to coordinated responses to common security threats across the continent.
The IGP 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 share operational experiences, establish lasting professional relationships and apply the knowledge gained to strengthen security operations in their respective countries.
Disu 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.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, issued the statement on behalf of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja on October 12, 2026.
