NATFORCE and Defiant Illegality
By Oyetunji Teslim
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In June 2021, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, ordered the immediate dismantling of all illegal security outfits in the country, saying such outfits were used to extort, harass and intimidate Nigerians, while masquerading as part of the national security architecture. Monguno specifically accused the purported National Task Force on Prohibition of Illegal Importation/Smuggling of Arms, Ammunition, Light Weapons, Chemical Weapons and Pipeline Vandalism, also known as NATFORCE, of illegal security activities and cautioned individuals, organisations and foreign partners against the activities of the outfit.
“In particular, the office has cautioned individuals, organisations and foreign partners on the activities of NATFORCE which was illegally formed as a task force to combat illegal importation and smuggling of small arms, ammunition and light weapons into Nigeria,” a statement from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) read in part.
As the NSA mentioned in the statement, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), which replaced the defunct Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PRESCOM) and is domiciled in ONSA, is the national coordination mechanism for the control and monitoring of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria.
Upon the approval of its establishment by President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2021, the NCCSALW serves as an institutional mechanism for policy guidance, research and monitoring of all aspects of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). NCCSALW has six regional offices and works closely with security and intelligence agencies on prevention and control of proliferated arms, as well as tracking weapons in the hands of non-state actors. The center was also established to work in compliance with already laid-down international standards and ECOWAS moratorium on the control of SALW.
Retired Maj.-Gen. AM Dikko, who was Course Director at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre and Chief Instructor of the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Centre, is the National Coordinator of the NCCSALW and, like the Counter Terrorism Centre in ONSA, the centre is manned by officers from the security agencies, MDAs and the private sector, including civil society.
Unfortunately, the dismantled NATFORCE continues to illegally operate within the security system in contravention of Monguno’s order. In November 2021, NATFORCE supposed Director General, Baba Mohammed, denied reports that it was carrying out a recruitment exercise, insisting that the allegation that it was flouting the NSA’s order was wrong. He also claimed that the outfit had stopped all its operations in compliance with Monguno’s directive. However, a national newspaper published an appointment letter from NATFORCE appointing a candidate as ward supervisor in the Federal Capital Territory. The letter, which was signed by Mohammed, also directed the applicant to report at the “state command” for documentation.
NATFORCE recently continued its vehement violation of the order for it to dismantle when Mohammed paid a visit in illegal capacity to Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, where, again, he promised to engage over 4,000 youths in the state to check light weapons proliferation. He also announced the designation of Ebonyi State as Zone 12 NATFORCE headquarters.
Perhaps, NATFORCE’s defiance could be as a result of a vacuum created by inadequate inter-agency and/or inter-governmental synergy. For instance, in July 2022, the Senate passed a Bill for the Establishment of a National Commission for Coordination and Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons. Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, to which three bills were referred, said the bill is a consolidation of three related bills: The Nigeria National Commission against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (Establishment, etc) Bill, 2020 (SB. 283); The Nigeria National Commission against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (Establishment, etc) Bill, 2020 (SB. 513); and The National Centre for the Coordination and Control of the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (Establishment, etc) Bill, 2021 (SB. 794).
Recall that in May 2021, President Buhari approved the establishment of the NCCSALW, domiciled in ONSA. However, the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence resolved that pursuant to the objectives of the bill on the subject, establishing a ‘National Commission’ rather than a ‘National Centre’ as an independent body (as opposed to a dependent agency) will be better suited towards implementing measures aimed at control of illicit arms.
The intention to transform NCCSALW from a ‘centre’ to a ‘commission’ is not the actual elephant in the room, but the inclusion of NATFORCE, an illegal outfit, in the passed bill. Security experts responded to the Senate’s indiscretion of giving an illegal outfit such as NATCFORCE a role by warning lawmakers to expunge the outfit from the bill during the harmonisation of the versions of the Senate and that of the House of Representatives before passing it into law for presidential assent.
Apart from the dismantling of NATFORCE by ONSA, the High Court and the Court of Appeal at separate times had declared the outfit as illegal. While NCCSALW needs to be more proactive, continued activities of the illicit outfit and any association with individuals, groups, sub-national government and foreign partners should henceforth be deemed a threat to national security and responded to accordingly.
Oyetunji Teslim is a legal practitioner based in Kaduna .
