President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of 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.

Kokumo succeeds Major-General AM Dikko (retd.), whom former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed as the pioneer Coordinator on May 3, 2021.

The Presidency announced his appointment Tuesday in a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, titled ‘President Tinubu appoints new coordinator for the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.’

Ngelale described Kokumo as a “seasoned and accomplished law enforcement professional with over 30 years of experience in crime prevention, management, analysis, and control.”

He was Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja, from 2022 to 2023.

The President says he expects the new Coordinator to “deploy his immense experience and expertise in efforts to revamp the Centre and evolve new strategies to bring lasting solutions to the menace of arms proliferation which is a significant driver of insecurity in the country.”

The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons was established on May 3, 2021, by an Executive directive by Buhari.

This was in line with Article 24 of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

At the time, the Presidency said the Centre would replace the defunct Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons and shall serve as the institutional mechanism for policy guidance, research and monitoring of all aspects of Small Arms and Light Weapons.

NCCSALW’s creation was part of the restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture to address emerging threats and strengthen regional mechanisms for the control, prevention and regulation of SALW.