Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade on Monday flagged off the destruction of 260 arms and 5,510 ammunitions surrendered by the Bakassi strike Force and Khaki Boys of Boki local Government area in Central Cross River State .
Governor Ayade, who was with police and the military service commanders during the exercise, said the problem of arms proliferation, militancy and youth restiveness will be reduced in the state due to the efforts of ECOWAS-European Union, EU, Arms destruction programmes.
Speaking at the occasion which held at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Ayade called for the inclusion of the Bakassi strike force into the Amnesty programme of the federal government.
Earlier, Dickson Orji who led the Federal Government, ECOWAS- EU team, stated that the arms destruction was part of the mandate of the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons while Cross River Police Commissioner,Sikiru Akande assured of mopping up other Ammunitions in the state .
Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons was established by EU and ECOWAS as a program to provide an alternative livelihood to youths who surrender their arms and Ammunitions in Nigeria.
(Editor:Abaje Usekwe)
