NCCSALW North East Zonal Director, Maj. Gen. Abubakar Adamu (rtd), paid an advocacy visit to the NSCDC Headquarters in Maiduguri
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in Borno State have pledged to collaborate with the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) to curb the proliferation of illegal small arms and light weapons across the state and the North East region.
The commitment was made during advocacy visits by the NCCSALW North East Zonal Director, Maj. Gen. Abubakar Adamu (rtd), to the NSCDC and NIS headquarters in Maiduguri on Thursday.
NSCDC Borno State Commandant, Alhaji Abdulrazaq O. Haroon, announced that all seized or recovered small arms and light weapons would be handed over to the NCCSALW for proper disposal, emphasizing the Corps’ dedication to promoting peace and unity.
Similarly, NIS Borno State Comptroller, Alhaji Mukthar Tanimu Musa, affirmed the Service’s commitment to partnering with the NCCSALW to raise public awareness about the dangers of illegal arms possession, particularly in border communities.
Both agencies vowed to support advocacy, sensitization, and mobilization campaigns targeting communities in Borno State and neighboring countries like Chad and Cameroon.
The NSCDC and NIS aim to educate the public, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), on the risks associated with illegal arms and ammunition, contributing to efforts to reduce social vices and foster stability.
Comptroller Musa highlighted the NIS’s ongoing efforts to screen and monitor migration at border towns to curb illegal activities and ensure security.
Both leaders underscored their mandates to maintain peace and stability, aligning their efforts with the NCCSALW’s mission to sanitize society by controlling the spread of small arms and light weapons.
Maj. Gen. Adamu (rtd) expressed gratitude for the warm reception and reaffirmed the NCCSALW’s commitment to a fruitful partnership.
He noted that the Centre, established in 2021 under the Office of the National Security Adviser, serves as Nigeria’s institutional framework for regulating small arms and light weapons. Its objectives include preventing, controlling, and managing arms proliferation, particularly in the context of Boko Haram insurgency and violent extremism, while promoting peace and stability across the country and West Africa.
The NCCSALW’s mandate involves leading multi-stakeholder efforts, including government agencies and civil society organizations, to implement national, ECOWAS, and UN action plans on arms control.
The Centre aims to institutionalize arms control, mainstream eradication efforts, and ensure compliance with international conventions, guided by principles of accountability, fairness, integrity, and transparency.
Both the NSCDC and NIS reiterated their readiness to work hand-in-hand with the NCCSALW to achieve a safer, more unified society free from the threats posed by illegal arms proliferation.
