President Tinubu has appointed DIG Johnson Kokumo (retd) as the new Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons under the Office of the National Security Adviser, succeding Major-General AM Dikko(retd), who was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari on May 3, 2021. Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, announced the appointment in a statement titled ‘President Tinubu appoints new coordinator for the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
According to Ngelale, Kokumo is a “seasoned and accomplished law enforcement professional with over 30 years of experience in crime prevention, management, analysis, and control.”
From 2022 to 2023, he served as the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, overseeing the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department at Force Headquarters, Abuja. The President expressed his anticipation that the new Coordinator will utilized his extensive experience and expertise to rejuvenate the Centre and develop fresh approaches to combat the proliferation of arms, a significant contributor to insecurity in the nation.
Established on May 3, 2021, by an Executive directive from Buhari, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons aligns with Article 24 of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Initially, replacing the defunct Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons, the Centre serves as the institutional framework for policy direction, research, and monitoring across all facets of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
The creation of NCCSALW forms part of Nigeria’s security architecture overhaul to tackle emerging threats and fortify regional mechanisms for Small Arms and Light Weapons control, prevention, and regulations.