The Presidential Committee On Small Arms and Light Weapons (PRESCOM)
announced yesterday that over 7,000 illegal weapons have been
destroyed in Nigeria.
The programme Coordinator, Orji Dickson explained that an arms
destruction exercise conducted in three locations led to the
destruction of over 640 weapons in Benue, over 625 weapons in Katsina
and 5,970 weapons in Zamfara.
“Collectively we have destroyed close to 7000 weapons across Nigeria,” he said.
Orji made this known yesterday at the opening ceremony of the
ongoing TOT Course on Physical Security and Stockpile Management
(PSSM) Organised by the United Nations Regional Center for Peace and
Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) and PRESCOM.
He said the training will enhance the capacity of the Nigerian
military and Para military in effective stockpile management to combat
proliferation of arms across Nigerian borders.
Orji who was represented by the Chairman of PRESCOM, Emmanuel Imohe,
noted that the ‘staggering” quantity of illegal arms in circulation
in the country was alarming.
“In Nigeria we are worried about the quantity of weapons crossing the
border into the country, in 2016, we conducted a national survey on
all arms and light weapons proliferation in Nigeria and you will be
amazed at what we discovered at the quantity of weapons circulating in
Nigeria. The figure was staggering,” he said.
He tasked state governments to begin disarmament programmes in their
various states to encourage civilian disarmament, because according to
him most weapons that are illicit are in the hands of civilians and
non state actors.
He informed that so far, 10 states have indicated interest, which are
; Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina, Akwa Ibom and Cross River,
Rivers, Imo and Benue.
He warned that civilians and non state actors who posses arms for
protection or livelihood are only endangering their lives further,
urging them to voluntarily disarm themselves in exchange for other
alternatives.
He further explained that as means of encouraging civilian
disarmament, PRESCOM in partnership with the ECOWAS EU small arms
project will provide alternative means of livelihood.