The Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, is reminding the public that NATFORCE and NATCOM are not part of Nigeria’s security architecture, and have no affiliation with any official security agency, as the outfits are not backed by federal law, lack the authority to recruit, and are not approved to operate as security organisations.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Kakari Mijinyawa, says that in 2021, ONSA directed the dismantling of illegal security outfits involved in extorting and harassing Nigerians.
The public was specifically cautioned about an illegal group known as NATFORCE.
Over the past three years, law enforcement agencies have acted against individuals operating these illegal outfits.
Some of these individuals have been arrested and are currently being prosecuted.
Despite these efforts, some members of the public, including key stakeholders in both the public and private sectors, have fallen victim to the fraudulent activities of NATFORCE, which has recently rebranded as NATCOM, despite clear directives to dismantle all illegal security outfits.
To clarify, pursuant to Section 24 of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Nigeria established the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, (NCCSALW), which has been under the Office of the National Security Adviser, since May 3, 2021.
The NCCSALW is the National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons in Nigeria, coordinating with all relevant stakeholders to implement the UN and ECOWAS Plans of Action on the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
The current National Coordinator of the NCCSALW is DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (retired), appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on March 26, 2024.
ONSA is advising state governments, international organizations, the private sector, and all stakeholders to remain vigilant about the activities of illegal security outfits operating under any name or form, while encouraging close collaboration with the NCCSALW to address concerns around the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
Furthermore, law enforcement agencies have been instructed to continue arresting and prosecuting individuals and groups who fraudulently present themselves to the public as security forces.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
