NCCSALW laments proliferation of small arms, light weapons hinders development, increases black markets of arms, ammunition
By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), under the Office of the National Security Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, has stressed that Small Arms and Light Weapons hinders development, increases black marketers of arms and ammunition.
It also causes undue exposure of young people to armed-violence, heightens transborder insecurity, creates fears in the minds of the people and many other vices in the society.
The assertion was by the North-East Zonal Director of NCCSALW, Maj Gen Abubakar Adamu (Rtd), while speaking at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Bauchi State on Friday, seeking partnership with the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) to tackle the menace of insecurity and the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons in the country.
He said that the partnership was necessary owing to the fact that the role of the Corps members at their places of primary assignment in advocating for illicit arms-free society could not be over emphasized.
The Zonal Director, who explained that the Centre’s partnership with Corps members in Borno and Yobe States have yielded positively, charged the Corps members across the North-East to play an active role in curbing the spread of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) across the region.
Abubakar Adamu said that the active involvement of youths, especially Corps members, would significantly help to tackle insecurity as well as the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons.
According to him, Corps members in Yobe and Borno States have been playing an active role in the fight against the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons through sensitization in their places of Primary Assignment.
This, he said was made possible through the establishment of National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Community Developments Service.
He explained that the NCCSALW, established in 2021 under the Office of the National Security Adviser, serves as the institutional framework for regulating and controlling Small Arms and Light Weapons in Nigeria.
Sensitizing the Corps members on camp in Bauchi State on the dangers of the proliferation of arms and weapons on the society, the Zonal Director said such weapons fuels banditry, kidnapping, cultism, political thuggery, insurgency and other crimes.
Abubakar Adamu who was represented by Aminu Saleh Mohammed, Assistant Director of Strategic Communication and Information of the Centre, said that
He called on all parents and guardians to take full responsibility of good child upbringing in all ramification, educate children on tolerance and peaceful co-existence and warn against violence.
Abubakar Adamu also called on the North-East Coordinators of NYSC to partner with the Centre to establish a Small Arms and Light Weapons Community Development Service (CDS) group in the states, similar to one already operational in Borno.
While responding, the Bauchi State Coordinator of NYSC, Umoren Kufre lauded the centre for the sensitization and welcomed the proposal, assuring that efforts would be made to set up the CDS group to support the campaign.
He also promised to work closely with the Centre in order to fight and eradicate the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons within the region by carrying out sensitization in strategic locations.
Some of the Corps members who spoke at the event promised to be ambassadors of the centre and pledged to participate whole heartedly on any activity that would bring the menace of the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons to an end.
