Nigeria’s arms and ammunition imports have surged by more than 100 per cent in six months, with the value rising from N26.95bn in the first half of 2025 to N55.06bn during the same period this year.
The 104.31 per cent increase comes less than a year before the 2027 general elections, raising fresh concerns over the movement and proliferation of firearms ahead of the polls.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics’ foreign trade report for the second quarter of 2026 showed that Nigeria imported arms worth over N55bn between January and June.
The development comes against the backdrop of growing security concerns ahead of the elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls are scheduled for February 6.
The huge rise in imports also comes after the Nigeria Customs Service reported intercepting about 603 firearms between January and August 2026.
The recovered weapons were subsequently handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
With the 2027 elections approaching, security experts and civil society organisations have continued to warn about the dangers posed by the circulation of firearms, particularly during election campaigns, voting and the post-election period.
A recent assessment by the CLEEN Foundation during the 2026 Osun governorship election showed that security deployment remained largely steady across the polling units observed.
However, security personnel temporarily abandoned their posts in six per cent of the locations monitored, while another two per cent had no security presence at all.
The foundation warned that security gaps towards the end of voting could create opportunities for electoral interference, particularly when voters leave, ballot materials are being moved and results are being processed.
Its observers also found visibly armed security personnel in 37 per cent of the polling locations monitored.
Force was reportedly used by security personnel in two per cent of the locations, while threats or intimidation were recorded in 12 per cent.
On the movement of sensitive electoral materials, security personnel were confirmed to have accompanied ballot boxes from 86 per cent of the polling units monitored. The foundation said it could not independently verify the situation in the remaining 14 per cent.
The CLEEN Foundation also reviewed media reports of violence during the Osun election and identified six locations where incidents, including alleged gunfire and disruption by suspected thugs, were reported. It, however, cautioned that most of the reports were based on allegations by political parties and had not been independently verified.
The organisation called on security agencies to maintain their presence and alertness beyond the close of polls and throughout the collation and transmission of results.
It further urged the Federal Government to establish a specialised judicial mechanism for dealing with electoral offences, warning that weak enforcement could continue to encourage election-related violations.
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