By; USMAN NASIDI, Kaduna.
The Zonal Coordinator North West National Center for the Control of Small Arms And Light Weapons, Air Vice Marshall, Haruna Umar Mohammed (Rtd) has assured that the center is dedicated to rid the Northwest Zone of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons through the help of other sister agencies.
The Zonal Coordinator gave the assurance while on an official working visit to both Jigawa and Kano states respectively.
According to AVM Mohammed (rtd), the center is saddled with the responsibility of formulating and implementing strategies, plans and policies for the eradication of the proliferation of small and light weapons.
He mentioned that more than five thousand arms and light weapons were recovered last year, in addition to the more than twenty thousand dangerous live ammunition of different calibre handed over to the agency.
Part of the engagements by AVM Mohammed (rtd) was his visit to the Government House Dutse where he informed the state Governor, Malam Umar Namadi on the activities of the Center and as well solicited for government support to have a weapon free society for enhanced socio economic development and improved well being of the citizenry.
“A lot is being done, most of these small arms and light weapons that are being recovered have trade markings on them. We will know the source country we will know the source of the manufacturers so we are working round the clock and by the grace of the Almighty, we will achieve our mission.”
The Zonal Coordinator while in Jigawa, visited the 26 Armoured Brigade Dutse, Department of State Security Services, DSS, the Jigawa State Police Command, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Other security outfits visited in Jigawa include, Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigerian Correctional Center.
Highlights of the visit was a demonstration of the activities of the center for small arms and light weapons to about one thousand eight hundred newly sworn in corp members held in the NYSC orientation camp in Dutse.
The coordinator said it was in recognition of corp members as critical stakeholders in the fight against proliferation of small arms and light weapons .While in Kano, AVM Mohammed (rtd )also toured security formations considering the zone’s peculiar security challenges ranging from kidnapping for ransom to banditry and farmer herder crisis among others.
Although Kano is relatively calm, it however shares boundary with other states of the zone that are affected by the challenges that are largely fueled by the availability of small arms and light weapons in circulation.
It is the mandate given to the centre for the control of small arms and light weapons of the office of the National Security Adviser, to end this vicious circle for a safer Nigeria.
According to the Zonal Coordinator, the above background informed the decision of his team to visit the various formations in Kano, with 3 Brigade Nigerian Army as the first point of call.
The Zonal Coordinator told the Commander Brigadier General, Jami’u Are of the activities of the Center, especially taking over of small arms and ammunition recovered by security agencies within the zone.
He also drew the attention of all security agencies visited to the activities of some illegal bodies parading themselves as those mandated with the prevention and control of small arms and light weapons in the county.
He emphasised that the centre is the only body mandated with such roles in the country.
He added that persons that want to voluntarily surrender illicit weapons could do so without fear of litigation.
In all the security agencies visited in Kano, it was the message of commendation for the success recorded through kinetic and non kinetic approach following intense collaboration and the need to sustain the tempo to ensure illicit arms free and safer Nigeria.
