The Director General for the Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Retired deputy Inspector General of Police Babatunde Kokumo, is seeking the synergy and collaboration of security chiefs to win the war against proliferation of Small Arms and light weapons in Nigeria.
Mr. Kokomo was speaking at a one day working visit to the Zonal officer of the agency in Enugu.
The United Nations attributes the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, catalyst fueling civil wars and violent conflicts in West Africa .
Terrorists, Bandits, kidnappers, and secessionist Agitators often rely on small arms to unleash terror on the people.
With this in mind, the first Director General of the Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Babatunde Kokumo is on a familiarisation visit to the South East.
He was received by Zonal Coordinator and heads of security agencies in the zone.
He sought their collaboration to win the fight against arms proliferation in the country.
Established on 3rd May 2021 through an Executive Order by former President Muhammadu Buhari in line with the Article 24 of ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
The agency was further strengthened by the newly signed Act by President Bola Tinubu, with DIG Olakunle Kokumo (RTD) as the first Director General.
It’s zonal Coordinator listed challenges but also added that successes have been recorded in the region, with over 2500 arms recovered and destroyed by the agency.
South-East Zonal Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW),
The Director General said modern digital technology and community collaboration is the way to go to contain the menace of arms proliferation in the country.