‘Small Arms Commission Can Generate N6trn Yearly’

The Director-General, National Task Force and President of Importers Association of Nigeria, Mr Emmanuel Okereke, has said that the National Commission for Prohibited Imported Items, Small Arms and Light Weapons and other Related Offences, when established by law, will generate about N6trn annually for the Nigerian economy.

Okereke at a media briefing in Lagos on Monday added that apart from generating revenues, the commission would also create job opportunities for over 350 people in each of the Local Government Areas across the federation.

According to him, the bill establishing the commission has suffered for the past seven years in the National Assembly.

He, however, expressed optimism that before the end of April, the bill would be passed into law.

“We are about to commence operations in the country. We are about to be confirmed as a national commission to safeguard Nigerians from illicit trade activities by unscrupulous importers,” he said.

He said the mission of the commission was to safeguard the lives of Nigerians against the importation of illegal items by nefarious importers.

Okereke noted that about 14 countries in the ECOWAS signed the treaty in 2009 to establish a similar commission in their respective countries but regretted that only Nigeria and The Gambia were yet to sign the agreement.

He said too many arms and fake uniforms of security agencies were being sold in the country, adding that when passed into law, the commission would help to checkmate these illegal activities and operations.