Governors and other politicians are stockpiling arms ahead of the elections, a government official said yesterday.

The Director-General of the National Task Force on Prohibition of Illegal Importation of Small Arms, Ammunition and Light Weapons, Dr Osita Okereke, said governors and their collaborators were stockpiling arms and ammunition to kit their thugs. He did not name such governors.

The director-general spoke at the National Assembly on the need for the Senate to quickly pass the Bill on National Commission on Prohibition of Illegal Importation of Small Arms, Ammunition and Light Weapons and other related matters.

He warned that steps should be taken urgently to prevent those in possession of illegal arms from unleashing them on Nigerians during and after the elections.

Okereke said that apart from stockpiling arms and ammunition, governors were acquiring police and army uniforms to be distributed to uninformed youth to cause mayhem during the elections.

He said: “Information reaching us shows that some politicians, including governors, have been acquiring arms and ammunition to be given to the youth during the forthcoming general election.

“In addition, they are also acquiring police and army uniforms for these youths for use during the election.

“If the youths that are likely to be recruited were given the opportunity to serve in the proposed commission before February general elections, they would not fall prey to the evil machinations of desperate politicians.

“This is why we want the bill to be passed by the National Assembly and assented to by Mr President before the election date.”

Okereke, who said that nobody was born a kidnapper and Boko Haram, noted that some of those involved in insurgency or kidnapping were driven by desperation and hopelessness.

He prayed the leadership of the Senate to fast-track the passage of the Bill on the Establishment of National Commission for the Prohibition of Illegal Importation of Small Arms, Ammunition and Light Weapons ahead of the February 16 presidential and National Assembly elections.

The Bill, he said, will prohibit proliferation of small arms, ammunition and light weapons and other related matters.

Okereke recalled that on December 7, 2017, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) gave Nigeria a mandate to pass the Bill into law.

“After that, nothing was done by Nigeria to honour the directives. There was a reminder on February 8, 2018, by the same sub-regional organisation, giving Nigeria an ultimatum to pass the Bill into law within three weeks and yet our country did not obey the directive and now it is one year that Nigeria has not deemed it fit to comply with the order,” he said.

Okereke noted:  “This law has been in existence in 14 countries, except in Nigeria and The Gambia. The treaty was signed in Nigeria and I think it is only proper that our country should expedite action on the process of signing this Bill into law.”

He said the Bill had been delayed for about six years in the National Assembly.

Okereke noted that the commission will go a long way to checkmate electoral malpractices and associated violence.

He said: “This Bill, if passed and assented to will attract foreign investors into the country, guarantee the safety of lives and property of the citizenry, eradicate all forms of criminality, including kidnapping, rape and killings in parts of the country. It will also provide massive employment to our jobless youths and also generate revenue for the government.

The Bill has a provision for the employment of about 350 youths in each of the 774 local government.

“This Bill will help to restore security to the grassroots, comprising villages, communities, wards and local government areas like we have never had before now. It will fill the gap created by state police.

“As I am talking to you, Boko Haram insurgents are in every village in the country. Arms and ammunition are in all nooks and crannies of this country. Kidnappers have taken over virtually all villages and communities in Nigeria and the only way to fish out all these unwanted elements in our midst is through the establishment of this commission in the country,” Okereke said.

The Nation