The Senate on Tuesday pushed closer to repeal and amend a 30-year-old Act and replace it with a new Act that will impose stiffer penalty for illegal possession of firearms in Nigeria.
The Senate move followed a bill seeking to amend the Principal Act and sponsored by Senator Uba Sani( APC, Kaduna Central) scaled 2nd reading on the floor.
In his lead debate, Sani said the major objective of the bill is to impose stiffer penalty for offences under the Act to serve as deterrent as well as strength current efforts by government to control the influx of illegal firearms.
He revealed that the bill makes provision for the destruction of firearms brought in illegally into the country; arguing further that the amendment will help Nigeria address its current security challenges.
According to the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa(UNREC), the profliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons(SALW) in Nigeria has reached an alarming proportion.
There are fears that out of the estimated 500 million weapons that may be in circulation in West Africa, 350 million, representing 70% of such weapons are in Nigeria.
On the 31st of January 2017, the Nigerian Customs Service confirmed the interception and seizure of 661 Pump Action riffles imported illegally from China.
The bill was first read on the floor of the Senate on 25th November, 2020 but its history dates back to the 8th National Assembly when it was passed but refused to be assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The bill is referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Legal and Human Rights for further legislative work.
