By Fatima Zahra Muhammad
ASHENEWS reports that the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) has raised the alarm over increased activities of some unregistered outfits taking over the task of combatting illegal arms flow in the country.
The Zonal Coordinator, North Central, Maj. Gen. Hamza Ibrahim Bature stated this on Tuesday while briefing Journalists in Minna, the Niger State capital.
This online platform reports that the NCCSALW was established in May 2021 by then-President Muhammadu Buhari in line with Article 24 of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Bature, who expressed concern that the activities of these unauthorized outfits could draw back the successes recorded in the ongoing fight against insecurity in the country said that the illegal outfits have gone as far as charging unsuspecting Nigerians fees to give them jobs.
“Some of these outfits, particularly in Abuja have even gone as far as giving uniforms to their personnel,” he added.
“It has been observed that the unauthorized outfits have sprung up; deceitfully presenting themselves as the focal organization for the control of illicit arms and small weapons, creating false impression of legitimacy and authority.
“Their activities result in confusion and lack of credibility, leading to administrative and legal disputes which may hinder the NCCSALW from carrying out its mandate.
“This would further complicate the efforts to control the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, potentially leading to the ineffective implementation of policies and strategies,” he said.
According to the NCCSALW Zonal Coordinator, “the NCCSALW remains the only Government sanctioned-body charged with the responsibility to checkmate the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons in Nigeria and it is crucial to note they any infringement on the duties of the Centre will attract legal sanctions,” he said.
Bature, who said that the NCCSALW remains committed to its mandate of addressing illicit arms flow maintained that the Centre remains open to collaboration with “arms-bearing security agencies, relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, International Partners, and Credible Civil Society Organizations to stem the tide of illegal arms proliferation,”
On the successes recorded so far by the Centre since its establishment, the NCCSALW coordinator said that it destroyed over 3,000 rifles in Kaduna in 2022 which were recovered through theatre operations from the Northwest, Southsouth, Southeast, and North Central regions of the country.
The Zonal Coordinator also listed the proscribed agencies to include the NATFORCE, an organization declared illegal by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in September 2022 but operating in Kogi State, and the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) currently operating in Abuja.
It warned that the center would not hesitate to take legal action against them, given the enormity of the task of checkmating the illegal flow of arms.
He further charged stakeholders and partners in the war against illicit weapons to support the center in the interest of Nigeria’s security.
