Amid escalating violence across Nigeria, the West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA Nigeria) is sounding a clarion call to government agencies, civil society, and community leaders to confront the root causes of armed conflict and systemic insecurity.
WAANSA Nigeria President and founder of GEADI, Temitope Lamidi, LLB, has decried the persistent bloodshed, gun-related killings, and rising cases of sexual violence, stating that Nigeria is grappling with existential threats that can no longer be ignored. In her passionate appeal, Lamidi pointed to a string of recent tragedies that underscore the urgency of national intervention.
The country is still reeling from the horrors of mob violence in Uromi, Edo State. In Plateau State’s Kwali District, Bassa Local Government Area, at least 51 people were reportedly killed. Benue State has witnessed fresh carnage in Otobi-Akpa, Emichi, and Utonkon communities, deepening the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Adding to the tension, women from Yenizue-Gene and Okutukutu communities in Bayelsa State staged a protest on March 15, barricading the Melford Okilo Road. The women demanded justice over alleged rape, harassment, and destruction of their farmlands by armed herdsmen, highlighting the growing frustration among vulnerable groups affected by unchecked violence.
According to Lamidi, the continuous culture of retaliation, intolerance, and inter-communal clashes is fueled by the easy availability of firearms, climate-related pressures like deforestation, competition over scarce resources, historical grievances, and a lack of justice and accountability. She criticized the lack of open prosecutions and argued that these lapses in the justice system embolden perpetrators and normalize violence.
Billions of naira have been spent on various countermeasures, but the outcomes remain minimal. Lamidi emphasized the need for alternative approaches such as conflict resolution through dialogue, arms control legislation, community reconciliation, and strategic arms mop-up and buyback initiatives. She called on the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) to lead this effort in collaboration with stakeholders.
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Citing Rwanda’s post-genocide recovery model as a blueprint for rebuilding peace, Lamidi said it’s not too late for Nigeria to rewrite its own story. She urged local authorities, security agencies, religious and community leaders, and civil society organizations to urgently convene a roundtable aimed at fostering dialogue and restoring national unity.
Failure to act now, she warned, could be interpreted as a dangerous neglect of Nigeria’s collective peace and stability.
Echoing this message, WAANSA Nigeria’s Director of Operations, Dr. Endurance Edafewotu, noted that the organization is actively combating the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in Nigeria. As a network working under the Political Affairs, Peace, and Security Department of the ECOWAS Commission, WAANSA Nigeria continues to advocate for proactive policies and grassroots action.
In her concluding remarks, Lamidi shared a poignant reflection: “Given the current wave of killings and gun violence, it feels hollow to say ‘Happy Easter.’ Our people are mourning, and unless we break this cycle, peace will remain a dream.”
