The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has restated the federal government’s commitment towards mopping up small arms and light weapons from circulation, especially in the north central zone.
Ribadu made the commitment during the commissioning of the North Central Zonal Office Complex of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, (NCCSALW), in Minna, Niger State.
It is to effectively activate their operational strategy to bring the fight against illicit arms closer to the people.
Beyond the beautiful edifice, representatives of the governors of Benue, Plateau, Kogi and Nassarawa States acknowledged the proliferation of illicit arms in North Central States, and promised to collectively fight against it, and ensure a more secure region, even as they commended the establishment of the zonal office.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who was represented by the Director-General of the centre, DIG Johnson Kokumo (rtd), said the new zonal office will serve as a strategic coordination hub for operations in the North Central region, a centre for intelligence gathering and analysis, a platform for enhanced inter-agency collaboration, and a base for community engagement and awareness programmes.
He further added that the edifice put in place is a renewed commitment to ensuring a safer Nigeria for all, as well as about reinforcing dedication to eradicating the sources and channels through which the dangerous weapons find their way into the hands of criminals.
Governor Umar Bago used the medium as the host to woo the National Security Adviser, and the entire staff of the centre, to venture into agriculture, to utilise the ungoverned large landmass, serving as a hiding hub for terrorists within the state, and the region in particular.
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The proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons has remained one of the biggest threats to the national security of the country, as the weapons fuel all manners of criminality, including but not limited to banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, pipeline vandalism, armed robbery and communal clashes, undermining the peace and stability of the affected communities.
But with the establishment of this office in Niger State, serving as a strategic location, the centre says it will help to coordinate all efforts aimed at controlling the spread of the weapons, promoting disarmament, and enhancing security across Nigeria.
(Editor : Ena Agbanoma)
