ECOWAS warns member states against diverting weapons and ammunition that are legally acquired for illicit purposes. The regional bloc says such diversion poses a serious security risk and urges governments to strengthen controls over arms stockpiles.
Speaking in Nigeria, ECOWAS officials frame the warning around the need for effective management of decommissioned and stored items, including oversight to prevent leaks into illegal markets. Vanguard also reports that Nigeria’s National Commission for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) is destroying large quantities of decommissioned weapons and ammunition, underscoring efforts to reduce surplus and mitigate diversion risks.
The Punch similarly highlights ECOWAS’s concern about stockpile handling and compliance, without indicating a specific incident tied to the warning. Both outlets present ECOWAS’s message as a preventive step aimed at improving security practices across member states, while the reported destruction activity provides an example of enforcement and disposal measures.
