The director-general, National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (rtd) has called on critical stakeholders to join hands with the agency in the fight against illegal arms in the country.
He noted that the alarming rate of violence crime in the society is driven by the proliferation of illicit arms, adding that the ugly development has done serious harm to the society.
He made the call in Enugu during a working visit to the South East Zonal office of the establishment.
Kokumo, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), said, as part of efforts to tackle the scourge in the country headlong, President Bola Tinubu, had in June this year, assented to the Act that gives the agency legal backing to operate.
According to him, the issue of illegal arms proliferation has remained a clog in the wheel of progress of nations, including Nigeria, hence international bodies such as United Nations (UN), African (AU), ECOWAS, among others, have equally identified it as a driver of violence crime in the society.
The DG hinted that following the legal backing, the agency now has the powers to investigate, arrest and prosecute offenders in court.
He thanked the Enugu State government for its support to the organisation since inception.
“I’m here today for a familiarisation and of course, a working visit to the South East Zonal office to see things for myself, with a view to getting back to see what we can further put in place for the centre to function more appropriately.
“So, I bring you good tidings from the office of the National security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
“Proliferation of small arms and light weapons in all societies have been identified as the main driver of violence crimes across the board,” he said, calling on critical stakeholders to join hands to put an end to the menace.
The NCCSALW leader used the fora to advise members of the public not to fall prey to some criminal elements who have been going about impersonating staff of the agency.
Earlier, South East zonal coordinator of the organisation, Major General 0kechukwu Nkem Ugo (rtd), said “as we all know, the Federal Government of Nigeria authorised the establishment of the National Centre for the Control of SALW on May 3, 2021” to halt the ugly trend.
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