The North East Zonal Centre of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), has raised concern over emergence of unauthorised outfits.
The Zonal Coordinator of the centre in Maiduguri, Rear Admiral Abdulrahman Mohammed (rtd), raised the concern in a press statement signed by the Assistant Director Operations of the centre, ACP Saleh Samaila.
“it has been observed recently that some unscrupulous and unauthorized outfits have emerged, deceitfully presenting themselves as the focal organizations for the control of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons, creating false impressions of legitimacy and authority of the National Center.
“The action of these unauthorized bodies have the propensity to further compound the already complex task of Small Arms and Light Weapons control and may potentially result in confusion and lack of credibility leading to administrative and legal disputes which may hinder the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons to effectively carry out its mandate,” Mohammed said.
He reminded all stakeholders and partners on the need to operate within legal boundaries, adding that the centre remains the only government body charged with the responsibility to checkmate proliferation of small arms.
The zonal coordinator also urged the media as an important partner in the campaign against Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) proliferation to be vigilant and avoid the projection of such unlawful outfits.
The centre was established under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in 2021 towards strengthening peace and security in Nigeria.
The centre which staff are drawn from personnel of the Nigeria Army, Navy, Air force, Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, and other Security Agencies have zonal centres in the six geo-political zones.
The zonal centers work in collaboration with arm bearing agencies in Nigeria by collating and facilitating the destruction of illicit weapons seized by these agencies.
