Arms control centre teams up with traditional rulers to check illegal weapons circulation

Abdulrahim Mohammed, north-east zonal coordinator, National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), has asked traditional rulers in Borno to help reduce the circulation of illegal small arms and light weapons in the zone.

Mohammed made the appeal when he visited Abubakar Ibn-Garbai Elkanemi, Shehu of Borno, in his palace in Maiduguri, on Monday.

He urged the traditional rulers to support advocacy programmes that will help to reduce the menace.

According to NAN, he said the centre embarked on a national assignment to eradicate the illegal acquisition of firearms which has contributed greatly to the security challenges in Nigeria.

He said the traditional institutions are critical stakeholders in the campaign as they are custodians of culture and the vanguard of promoting peace and a violence-free society.

In his remarks, the Shehu commended the federal government for establishing the centre in Maiduguri, adding that it would mitigate the menace of insecurity and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the region.

Shehu said the removal of small arms and light weapons from the hands of terrorists and non-state actors will deepen and sustain the peace achieved so far.

So far, the centre has recovered more than 3,000 illegal arms since its take-off in May 2021.