Nigerian journalists have been advised to investigate the actions of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in order to determine how and why firearms continue to cross borders into Nigeria, supporting terrorism and banditry.
In a one-day media workshop on Defense Anti-Corruption Reportage, Civic Space, and Oversight conducted in Ikeja, Lagos State on August 21, 2022, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC), made this plea.
Musa stated that there are issues with the NCS as an organisation and expressed his concern over the quantity of weapons and ammunition that cross Nigerian borders. He stated that it looks the NCS is treating craw-craw rather than ringworm.
His words: “Small and heavy arms continue to come into the country, where is the Customs? Why is NCS focusing on chasing rice traders when the serious issue is arm proliferations? We have Customs at seaports, airports, and borders, yet these dangerous items keep coming into the country. The army, the police, the Customs and other security agencies have the responsibilities to ensure our country is protected.”
According to Musa, as patriotic citizens, people must keep asking questions and interrogate issues and then go forward to providing credible suggestions on how to move the country forward on different channels.
He also said: “Customs has a role to play in bringing both legal and illegal arms into the country.”
The activist, who also stated that the whereabouts of containers of weapons seized by NCS at different times should be accounted for, complained that due to arms proliferation, state governors, rather than proffer solutions to insecurity in their states, are forming and arming militia groups.
CISLAC Programme Manager, Defence and Security, Salaudeen Hashim, while noting that between January and September 2021, media reports showed that 8281 deaths were reported, and 176 security personnel killed, added: “Corruption thrives in the security sector because people do not have information or know the laws. One of the greatest leakages is around our borders. We have over 120 gangs in Zamfara State. We have a poor border management system.”
Musa, while speaking about the importance of the workshop, explained that it was designed to enhance journalists’ knowledge on probable areas within the defence and security sector budgetary process and expenditures, for effective investigative journalism.
“It will improve the capacity of participants to better understand areas of possible corruption risk and to flag same for evidence-based civilian oversight in order to minimize corrupt practices and to improve our defence and security architecture. We must not sit and watch a corrupt few embezzle monies meant for the welfare of security personnel, and procurement of arms and ammunition while the challenges of insecurity continue to threaten our very existence. Many people known and unknown to us have been killed, maimed, kidnapped, and robbed of their loved ones, property, and sources of livelihood. Terrorist attacks and kidnappings for outrageous ransom have become a norm in Nigeria. The question is: who the next victim will be?” said Musa.
He also noted: “We must as a matter of urgency begin to question the actions and in-actions of government and to demand accountability for budgetary allocations meant for defence and security. It is time that the quest for reform in our defence and security institutions transcends from mere words to all-inclusive participation in the formulation and effective implementation of policies for the actualisation of the transformation that citizens desire in our defence and security sector.”