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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The North West Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), under the office of the National Security Adviser, Air Vice Marshall Haruna Umar Mohammed (retd), has called on patriotic Nigerians to report anyone who is in possession of illicit small arms and light weapons for possible mop up and destruction.
To this end, Mohammed assured the people that the identity of informants who are in the know of where illicit weapons are hidden will never be disclosed.
He also reiterated that those who are in possession of the arms are also free to surrender them, saying, “we have recovered quite a number of these weapons and arms but have not revealed their identities”.
The retired Air Force General made the declaration during a one-day training workshop for Journalists in Kaduna on the proliferation of small arms and light weapons at the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Tuesday.
According to him, his office will continue to collaborate with journalists in order to educate Nigerians on the dangers of possessing illicit small arms and light weapons.
While, attributing the incessant security challenges to the proliferation of arms by many individuals and groups, he said, ” the effects of small arms and light weapons are too numerous as we are aware today.
“Suffice it to say that the availability of illicit small arms and light weapons is a major catalyst for insecurity not only in Nigeria but also globally.
“Illicit small arms and light weapons effectuate the upsurge of armed groups, communal clashes, cultism, kidnappings ethnic and religious violence and militancy among others.
“Our mandate is to have an illicit arms-free society as well as to prevent and control the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the six geopolitical zones in the country.
He called on patriotic Nigerians to come forward with any information that will lead to the recovery of illicit small arms and weapons to the nearest security agency.
“If you are in doubt, you can come to our centre. You know the headquarters of the Northwest office is in Kaduna,” he stated.
