The National Assembly has proposed a jail sentence of five years or a fine of N5million for any person convicted of being in possession of firearms illegally.
Where a person perpetrates violence with an unlicensed firearm, such a person may be jailed for six years without an option of fine, according to the ‘Bill for an Act to Establish the National Centre for the Coordination and Control of the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Nigeria, and for Related Matters.’
The Senate and the House of Representatives had constituted conference committees that harmonised the differences in the versions passed by the chambers.
Co-Chairman of the conference committee from the House, Adeogun Adejoro, laid the report on the bill penultimate week and it was considered and adopted last Wednesday.
In the report, the committee, in Clause 31, Part 9 of the bill, recommended punishments for illegal possession and use of firearms.
Clause 31 read, “Offences and penalties: (1) Any person in possession of firearms or ammunition without a licence shall on conviction be liable to five years imprisonment or a fine of not less than N5,000,000.00 or both where the person has no previous criminal record.
“(2) Any person with previous criminal records found in possession of firearms without a licence shall on conviction be liable to five years imprisonment without fine.
“(3) Where a person commits an act of violence with a firearm that is not licenced such person shall on conviction be liable to six years imprisonment”.
The National Centre for the Coordination and Control of the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, which is currently domiciled with the Office of the National Security Adviser, will get legal backing when the bill is signed into law.
Clause 6, Part 3, of the bill listed the functions and powers of the commission to include implementing strategies, plans, and policies for the eradication of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
It includes supervising the implementation of the strategies, plans, and policies for the eradication of proliferation of small arms and light weapons, by law enforcement agencies and other relevant ministries, departments, and agencies in Nigeria.
It also includes receiving from the Nigeria Police Force, reports of activities on the registration and licensing of firearms and ammunition for the purposes of updating the national database.
Other functions and powers of the commission are “(e) organising programmes of action to prevent, control, combat, and eradicate the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons, and coordinating the design and implementation of an effective public education and awareness campaign relative to small arms and light weapons”.
The bill also proposes that the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union, and the United Nations grant exemptions to member-states for weapons of Categories 1, 2 and 3 of the ECOWAS Protocol on SALW, to meet legitimate national defence and security needs, or to participate in peacekeeping or other operations in accordance with the decisions of the UN, AU, ECOWAS or other regional or sub-regional body of which it is a member.
On management and security of stockpiles, the bill proposes that the commission, among others, shall take the necessary measures to ensure the safe and effective management, storage, and security of national stocks of small arms and light weapons.