Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has expressed concern over the proliferation of firearms in Nigeria, revealing that approximately 200 million illegal guns are in circulation in the country.
Governor Sani highlighted the outdated nature of the Firearms Act in Nigeria, emphasising that it has not been amended for over 30 years.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Governor Sani disclosed his efforts to amend the Firearms Act during his tenure in the Senate, stating that the current law in Nigeria does not align with global best practices.
Governor Sani drew attention to a report from the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC), which indicated that 200 million illegal firearms are in circulation in Nigeria out of the 250 million circulating in West Africa.
He lamented that the report did not receive the attention it deserved, contributing to the current insecurity challenges in the country.
Advocating for a review of the firearms law, Governor Sani stressed the need to address the issue of insecurity by implementing state policing.
“The firearms act in Nigeria is not in line with the global best practices. Nigeria is the only country where you can be arrested with illegal firearms and can be taken to court and you can be released based on some charges and not imprisonment. You can pay a fine of about 50,000 naira, and you can go home.
“That is why I started emphasising (firearms control) when the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) tabled the report when I was in the senate that about 200 million illegal firearms are in circulation in Nigeria out of the 250 million in circulation in West Africa,” Sani said.
