The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc(+), NPM, on Monday, 12 October 2026, declared open a five-day Small Arms and Light Weapons Identification and Tracing (SALW-IT) Simulation Programme in Abuja, reaffirming the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to tackling illicit arms trafficking and strengthening regional cooperation on security.
The programme, scheduled to run from 12 to 16 October, is designed to equip participants with practical skills in identifying, marking, registering and tracing small arms, light weapons and ammunition.
Participants are drawn from 12 African countries: 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, IGP Disu described the proliferation of illicit arms as a major threat to peace and security across Africa, noting its links to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and organised crime.
He stressed that effective weapons identification and tracing could help investigators uncover trafficking networks, identify financiers and establish supply routes, enabling more targeted action against illicit arms trafficking.
The IGP also highlighted the programme’s relevance to preparations for Nigeria’s forthcoming elections, noting that disrupting illicit arms supplies would help reduce the risk of electoral violence and intimidation, protect voters and electoral personnel, and support a secure environment for credible elections.
To ensure that the benefits extend beyond the training venue, the knowledge acquired will be shared through structured training and knowledge-sharing initiatives across police commands and formations. This is expected to strengthen officers’ capacity to identify and trace weapons, recover illicit arms, develop actionable intelligence and support routine policing and election-security operations.
On regional cooperation, Disu called for timely intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations and mutual legal assistance among African countries to address crimes that cross national borders. He emphasised the importance of established legal and institutional channels in ensuring that suspects cannot exploit jurisdictional boundaries to evade justice.
He further disclosed that Inspectors-General of Police from West and East African countries would convene to deliberate on shared security challenges and develop strategies for tackling transnational crime.
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 exchange operational experiences, strengthen professional relationships and apply the knowledge gained to improve security outcomes in their respective countries.
IGP Disu reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to regional and continental efforts to control illicit arms, pledging sustained institutional support and operational cooperation to translate the training into practical gains in public safety and election security.