North West – Kaduna

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The Zonal Coordinator North West National Centre for the Control of Small Arms And Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Air Vice Marshall Haruna Umar Mohammed (Rtd), has vowed to rid the zone of small arms and light weapons.

This was even as he said last year that the center has recovered over 5,000 arms and light weapons including over 20,000 dangerous ammunition.

The Zonal Coordinator gave the assurance while on an official working visit to both Jigawa and Kano States respectively at the weekend.

According to AVM Mohammed (rtd), the Centre is saddled with the responsibility of formulating and implementing strategies, plans and policies for the eradication of the proliferation of small and light weapons.

He mentioned that more than five thousand arms and light weapons were recovered last year, in addition to the more than twenty thousand dangerous live ammunition of different calibre handed over to the agency.

Part of the engagements by AVM Mohammed (rtd) was his visit to the Government House Dutse where he informed the state Governor, Malam Umar Namadi on the activities of the Center and as well solicited for government support to have a weapon free society for enhanced socio-economic development and improved wellbeing of the citizenry.

“A lot is being done, most of these small arms and light weapons that are being recovered have trade markings on them. We will know the source country, we will know the source of the manufacturers so we are working round the clock and by the grace of the Almighty, we will achieve our mission.”

The Zonal Coordinator, while in Jigawa, visited the 26 Armoured Brigade Dutse, Department of State Security Services (DSS), the Jigawa State Police Command, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

Other security outfits visited in Jigawa included Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigerian Correctional Center.

Highlights of the visit was a demonstration of the activities of the center for small arms and light weapons to about one thousand eight hundred newly sworn in corps members held in the NYSC orientation camp in Dutse.

The Coordinator said it was in recognition of corp members as critical stakeholders in the fight against proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

While in Kano, AVM Mohammed (rtd )also toured security formations considered as security challenges.

He said they were in Kano based on the mandate given to the centre for the control of small arms and light weapons from the office of the National Security Adviser, to end this vicious circle for a safer Nigeria.

The Zonal Coordinator, noted that the above background informed the decision of his team to visit the various formations in Kano, with 3 Brigade Nigerian Army as the first point of call.

The Zonal Coordinator told the Commander Brigadier General, Jami’u Are of the activities of the centre especially taking over of small arms and ammunition recovered by security agencies within the zone.

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