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Steve Agbota
The Director General of National Taskforce to Combat Illegal Importation of Small Arms, Ammunition and Light Weapons (NATFORCE), Chief Emmanuel Okereke has urged the Nigerian Senate to pass the National Commission for Prohibited Imported Items, Small Arms and Light Weapons and other related Offences bill.
According to him, if the bill is passed and signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Commission would generate N6 trillion annually into the Federal Government coffers and create employment opportunities across the country.
He said the proposed bill has been signed into law in 14 out of 16 ECOWAS countries, saying only Nigeria and Gambia are yet to signed the bill into law.
Okereke who disclosed this yesterday at a press briefing held in Lagos, said that the NATFORCE will be even generating more revenue than Nigeria Customs Service, saying the NATFORCE won’t be a liability to the government, which is it imperative for National Assembly to sign the bill before the end of the month.
He said It is only in Nigeria security agencies are not generating money. Adding that whatever they make will go into their pocket, which is not done in anywhere in the world.
Okereke who is also the National President of Importers Association of Nigeria added that, “The bill has suffered almost seven years at the National Assembly because of so many people who doesn’t want the commission to come on board believing that we are going to stop them from doing their illegal businesses.
“Our mission of cooperating with the government is for us to checkmate those who are bringing in prohibited items. We are not here to winch hunt genuine importers, sealing people’s warehouses, seizing containers, which we are not authorise to do. We are to protect and safeguard and our mission is to make sure the safety of Nigeria. There are no states that is arms free today in Nigeria,” he added.
He said: “All over the federation, the National Taskforce is set to commence full operation. The insecurity in Nigeria must be fought and peace restore across the federation.
“Each local government will have at least 350 NATFORCE personnel trained and deployed to the localities to ensure that proliferation of small arms and illegal weapons were checked effectively to end frequent communal clashes and killings in parts of the country.”
However, he warned that there is no Importers Association of Nigeria (IMAN) Special Taskforce in Lagos, He called on Lagos State Commissioner of Police to withdraw any Police officers he must given to them.
