Centre recovers 30,000 arms, light weapons, ammunition in 23 years–Coordinator

The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) said it has recovered no fewer than 30,000 small arms, light weapons and ammunition in Nigeria since its establishment in 2001.

Retired AVM Haruna Mohammed, National Coordinator of NCCSALW, North-West Zone disclosed this during a training organised for journalists on Tuesday in Kaduna.

The training, tagged “Control and Proliferation of Small and Light Weapons” , was organised by NCCSALW in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council.

Mohammed said since the establishment of the Centr,e, a lot of recoveries of illicit small arms and light weapons and ammunition have been recorded.

He said, “Over 10,000 small arms and light weapons and over 20,000 ammunition of different calibers have so far been recorded.

“I want to categorically mention here that security agencies and in addition, religious and traditional rulers, civil society organations and the media played a vital role.

“We will not relent on our hoars.”

Mohammed said that sharing of information and knowledge was indestructible for the promotion of peace in the society.

He.added that the training was organised in realisation of the critical role of the media in enlightening the public about the activities of the government’s establishment.

“It is also in line with the core function of NCCSALW of the effective education and awareness campaign related to small arms and light weapons.

“This is amied at capacity building to enhance coverage of the activities of the Centre professionally and ethically

“It will also serve aa forum or further networking and and collaboration between the participants and the Centre,” Mohammed said

The Coordinator said that the effects of proliferation of small and light with were too numerous as it is a major catalyst for insecurity not only in Nigeria but globally.

“Proliferation of small arms and light weapons efatuate the upsurge of armed groups, communal clashes , cultism, kidnapping, ethnic and religious violence the world over and these results to loss of lives and property and displacement of our people.

“It is against this background that the federal government of Nigeria found it necessary as part of efforts to rejig the security architecture to establish NCCSALW to serve as a security mechanism for the prevention and control of proliferation small arms and light weapons towards peace and security in Nigeria,” Mohammed said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training had participants drawn from security agencies and journalists from various media organisations.  (NAN)