FG partners traditional rulers to curb proliferation of small arms

National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), North-East Zonal Centre, under the Office of the National Security Adviser to the President, has partnered with traditional rulers in the subregion in order to curb the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the region.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin El-Kanemi on Sunday, Maj-Gen Abubakar Adamu (Rtd), the North-East Zonal Coordinator, NCCSALW North-East Zonal Centre, said that the partnership was imperative due to the crucial roles the traditional rulers played in shaping the society.

He emphasised that with the involvement of traditional rulers in fighting the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), issues of insecurity would be a thing of the past.

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He explained that NCCSALW, under the office of NSA, was established in 2021 as the institutional framework for the regulation and control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the country.

Abubakar Adamu said that the proliferation of these small arms and light weapons paved the way for increase in banditry, kidnapping, cultism, political thuggery, and all sorts of insecurity in the country.

According to him, “Please sir, we want you to help us look into these things and help us fight the proliferation of illicit weapons.

“We want your total involvement in advocating and campaigning against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, and we believe that with your collaboration with us in this regard, issues of insecurity will be reduced to the bearest minimum.”

The Zonal Coordinator further said that, “I believe without this, there will be no banditry, violence, cultism, political thuggery Boko Haram, ISWAP and others.”

“As part of the efforts of the Federal Government to curtail and fight the proliferation of small Arms and Light Weapons, the NCCSALW was created.

“It is part of the responsibility of this NCCSALW to be advocating, sensitizing communities and key stakeholders in the fight against the proliferation of small Arms and Light Weapons”.

Responding, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin El-Kanemi, promised to mobilise all the traditional rulers to work hand in hand with the centre in order to tackle the proliferation of small Arms and Light Weapons in the state.

He also appreciated Maj-Gen Abubakar Adamu (Rtd) for collaborating with the traditional rulers in fighting the proliferation of small Arms and Light Weapons in the state.