Center for Small Arms: Illegal Outfits Threat to Proliferation of Illicit Arms.
By Dauda Iliya
The National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons has observes with concern recent emergence of some unauthorized outfits, deceitfully presenting themselves as the focal organization for the control of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons.
In a statement by Assistant Director Operations, Assistant Commissioner of Police Saleh Samaila on behalf of North East Zonal Coordinator of the Centre Rear Admiral Abdulrahman Mohammed (rtd) decries the illegal outfits are creating false impressions of legitimacy and authority of the National Center.
The statement adds that the action of these unauthorized bodies have the propensity to further compound the already complex task of Small Arms and Light Weapons control and may potentially result in confusion and lack of credibility especially in the North East which suffered more than thirteen years of Boko Haram insurgency.
“The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons was established under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) by the former President Muhammadu Buhari on 3rd May 2021 as the sole agency mandated to prevent and control the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in collaboration with stakeholders towards strengthening peace and security in Nigeria with the Centers staff drawn from personnel of the Nigeria Army, Navy, Air force, Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, and other Security Agencies” the Admiral Mohammed says.
It explains that the Centre has six Zonal Centers working in collaboration with the fifteen arm bearing agencies by collating and facilitating the destruction of illicit weapons seized by these agencies.
Admiral Mohammed says the North East Zonal Centre since its inception has engaged relevant stakeholders across the Zone through sensitization, advocacy programs, sharing of intelligence with security agencies which led to various operational successes; facilitated the movement and destruction of seized Small Arms and Light Weapons.
“the Centre has sustained collaboration and synergy with other stakeholders and action security agencies in identifying, profiling, arrest and prosecution of arms traffickers within the Zone which have gone a long way in reducing the menace of the Proliferation of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons in the North East Zone and the country at large” The Coordinator stresses.
The statement reminds all stakeholders including the Media to uphold the highest standards of journalistic ethics to prevent the projection of unlawful organizations as the Center remains the only government-sanctioned body charged with the responsibility to checkmate the proliferation of illicit Small Arms Light Weapons in the county.
