The Bill for an Act to amend the Firearms Act, 2004 (SB 489) to provide for an increase in fine and the destruction of firearms illegally imported into the country or possessed by individuals without valid license has passed second reading in the Senate.
Leading the debate on the Bill at the plenary session of Wednesday, 27 September 2017, sponsor of the Bill, Sen. Gbolahan Dada (PDP: Ogun) stated the objectives of the bill to include:
- Increasing the fines imposed for offences committed under the Act from N1,000 to N100,000;
- Providing for the destruction of firearms illegally imported into the country or possessed by individuals without valid license in order to build public confidence;
- Complementing efforts targeted at eradicating and preventing illegal firearms within circulation;
- Generating revenue for the Federal Government to recycle and reuse waste recovered from the destruction of firearms.
In addition, Sen. Dada expressed concern over the proliferation of illegal firearms in Nigeria and stated that its destruction had became necessary after it was noted that confiscated firearms ended up being in the public domain.
The debate, which was unanimously adopted, has been referred to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative input and they are expected to report back within 4 weeks.
