The National Centre of the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) has engaged with the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the fight against illicit arms proliferation in Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NCCSALW on Thursday gathered a number of local and international CSOs in Abuja to address the issue of arms proliferation in the country.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno said the event was part of many multilateral engagements that the government intended to pursue with all stakeholders.
He said this was in its bid to secure Nigeria from the menace of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW).
Monguno was represented by his Special Assistant, Special Duties, Amb. Ahmed Muhammed.
He said the proliferation of SALW in many regions of West Africa had been a matter of grave concern to countries and regional organisations alike for decades.
Monguno said proliferation of illicit arms had become a major source of insecurity in the society, saying it had fueled violent conflict, crime and terrorism.
According to him, it requires no emphasis that the uncontrolled availability of SALW, especially the illicit ones, have continued to undermine global peace and significantly hinder development.
He said the threat and the use of SALW had been directly responsible for much of the untold human suffering in the society.
According to him, it is important to emphasise that these weapons themselves do not cause conflict.
“Rather, it is the easy access to them and the simplicity of their use that make violence more lethal and conflicts more protracted.
“Therefore, SALW have become weapons of choice for criminals, terrorists and bandits in Nigeria and beyond, posing a significant challenge to the country, especially in the wake of insecurity that has recently engulfed the Sahel Region.
“Hence the need to stop the proliferation of these deadly weapons,” he said.
Monguno said it was on the backdrop of the proliferation of weapons and its attendant consequences that President Muhammadu Buhari authorised the establishment of the centre.
He said the centre was established to serve as the institutional platform to stem the proliferation of small arms within the framework of the various international protocols and instruments to which Nigeria was committed.
According to him, the president has further demonstrated Nigeria’s commitment to the provisions of Article 24 of the ECOWAS Convention on SALW.
“Which requires each member state to establish national institutions to promote a multilateral approach to stamping out illicit arms trade in the Sub-region.
“The efforts towards eradicating illicit arms globally is one that has involved all stakeholders including the international and regional community, nations, states and most importantly, the civil society.
“In spite of our best efforts, it has become apparent that West Africa and indeed the global community are losing the war to transnational organised criminal networks, terrorist groups, domestic criminal elements and weapons manufacturers,” Monguno said.
The NSA said the activities of arms manufacturers to keep the security space awash with illicit small arms and light weapons must not be allowed to continue.
He said numerous studies conducted by Small Arms Survey, OXFAM and SBM Intelligence suggested that Nigeria currently account for about 60 to 70 per cent of the 10 million illicit weapons believed to be in West Africa.
According to him, this has already manifested as evidenced in the level of armed violence witnessed across Nigeria.
He, therefore, called for the support of CSOs for the government’s avowed commitment to rid the society of illicit weapons.
He commended the centre for its efforts in ridding the nation of illicit small arms and light weapons.
The National Coordinator, NCCSALW, retired Maj.-Gen. Abba Dikko, said the engagement with the theme: “Harnessing the Capacities of the Civil Society towards Promoting an Illicit Arms-free Society in Nigeria” was the second since the establishment of the centre.
Dikko said the proliferation of SALW had negatively impacted peace, security and socio-economic wellbeing of the nation.
He said that illicit arms proliferation had remained a key driver for terrorism, ethno-religious conflicts, violent separatism and sundry organised criminal activities within and across borders.
According to him, it is also common knowledge that Nigeria has borne the brunt of the instability in the Sahel region occasioned by the push-and-pull effect of arms trafficking.
“Consequently, Nigeria has closed ranks with her neighbours, ECOWAS and other international stakeholders over the years to eradicate illicit SALW in the hands of unauthorised persons or at least, halt their proliferation.
“Even though the progress made in this area has remained a subject of debate, Nigeria has continued to tackle the challenge head-on.’’
Dikko said the centre had made giant strides within the short time frame of its establishment to achieve full operationalisation with the establishment of regional offices in six geopolitical zones.
“The operationalisation of the centre has focused on discharging its core function of providing a strategic platform for arms control in Nigeria through close partnership with stakeholders, especially the civil society, both locally and internationally.’’
He said the meeting would seek to solicit CSOs support in implementation of the various government initiatives and programmes that the centre would roll out in due course, especially commencing grassroots engagements through the zonal offices. (NAN)
