The Federal Government has called on traditional rulers in the North-East to support ongoing efforts to curb the spread of small arms and light weapons in the region.
The North-East Zonal Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Maj. Gen. Abubakar Adamu (retd.), made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin El-Kanemi, at his palace on Sunday.
Adamu explained that the NCCSALW, which was established in 2021 under the Office of the National Security Adviser, is the institutional framework responsible for regulating and controlling small arms and light weapons in Nigeria. He stressed that proliferation of weapons had fuelled banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, political thuggery, and cultism across the country.
“Please sir, we want you to help us look into these issues and assist us in fighting the proliferation of illicit weapons. We want your total involvement in advocating and campaigning against the spread of small arms and light weapons. With your collaboration, insecurity will be reduced to the barest minimum,” Adamu said.
He added that addressing the flow of illicit weapons would weaken the operational strength of Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other violent groups in the North-East.
In his response, the Shehu of Borno pledged to mobilise traditional rulers across the state to partner with the government in combating the menace. He also commended the NCCSALW for engaging traditional institutions in the fight against insecurity, noting that monarchs have a vital role in peacebuilding and shaping community values.
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