New Telegraph-Admin 
Painting a grim and horrifying picture of the escalating wave of insecurity still ravaging the country, according to SBM Intelligence report no fewer than 2,000 defenceless Nigerians were hideously killed in violent attacks across the country between January and March 2025. The largely preventable deaths, from attacks by terrorists, armed herdsmen, robbers, bandits and the Boko Haram sect, also include casualties from abductions, gang clashes and military operations.
Breaking down the figures, with reference to the SBM report, of the total fatalities, 892 were civilians, making them the most affected group. The figure also includes 462 bandits, 234 Boko Haram members, 119 vigilantes, 110 soldiers and 24 policemen. At least 136 security personnel, including NSCDC officers, police and soldiers, lost their lives within the period. This heart – rending insecurity situation sparks the all-important question of the proliferation of arms and ammunition in the country.
Who are the suppliers and sponsors of their bloodletting acts and why are they enjoying a field day? Do our security officials have credible data on them, where they are located and of course, what meaningful efforts are on ground to mop them up? Answers to these questions have become important because Nigeria is estimated to have over 70% of the Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), circulating in the West Africa Sub-region. It is therefore considered a major security challenge in the country as it fuels various forms of insecurity, including terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping for ransom and sundry criminal activities.
The key elements that are responsible for the arms proliferation include the porous nature of Nigerian borders and illegal trade routes. They contribute to the influx of illegal arms, especially from the Sahel. The increasing demand for these weapons from insurgent groups along with general insecurity, have encouraged the illegal arms trade.
Another source of serious concern is the tense political situation evolving ahead of the 2027 general elections
With regards to efforts to combat the prevalence of SALW the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSLW) was established with the legal framework of the 2024 Act to address this critical issue.
The aims and objectives are to control the proliferation of SALW through various measures, including community sensitisation, border control, and collaboration with other security agencies. But commendable as this government’s intervention appears, more has been said than done in reining in the killing spree that has been going on for years in the fertile fields and mineral-rich states of Benue and Plateau.
With the recent insinuating remarks made by both the governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan that the attacks could be linked to some socalled powerful Nigerians, apparently interested in mining the minerals in those states, a deeper investigation has become necessary. That is to unravel the masterminds behind the serial attacks not just in Benue and Plateau states but in Borno, Bauchi, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger states, down south to Enugu, Edo, Delta, and Ondo states. Another source of serious concern is the tense political situation evolving ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Considering the past experiences in the country and with the volatile scenario of defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) we cannot rule out the occurrence of politically motivated killings. For instance, it is on record that since the return of democratic governance in 1999 several of such have taken place. That is more so, during elections and periods of heightened political tension. While precise figures may not be available, the 2003, 2007, and 2011 elections saw over 200 deaths each.
These ugly incidents are often linked to the struggle to hang on to power among political elites. Additionally, various massacres and riots, such as the Odi massacre and the 2000 Kaduna riots, also involved politically motivated deaths. All these involved the easy access to arms and ammunition.
To find sustainable solutions to the challenges posed by the headwinds of arms proliferation and the attendant casualties, government’s security efforts on arms trafficking and border control measures must be scaled up. In addition to mass public enlightenment the engagement of the mass media and some Nongovernmental Organisations in the campaign against violence related to elections. Beyond that is the imperative of letting the rule of law take its course.
All those found culpable in the supply of arms and ammunition to non-state actors must be fished out and brought to speedy justice to serve as a strong deterrence to others who would want to tread similar thorny paths. Now is also time to show not only the vulnerable citizens but the whole world that here, the sanctity of human life and its full protection matter to the federal and state governments. And that the life of the suppliers of arms and ammunition, as well as that of their mindless sponsors is equal before the laws of the land.
