The Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has assented to the Bill for the establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, aimed towards the control of small arms and light weapons proliferation.
Penpushing reports that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, made this known at the Workshop on Gender Mainstreaming in Preventing the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Nigeria and the West African Sub-region on Tuesday in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
The National Security Adviser (NSA), represented by the Director of External Affairs, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Ibrahim Babani pointed out that weapons proliferation was not only a national concern but also a matter of international importance.
Penpushing further reports that Ribadu explained that the president’s assent to the bill was a major milestone in the government’s commitment to curbing the proliferation of illegal arms, stressing that this legislative backing strengthens the centre’s mandate and paves the way for more coordinated and decisive action.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), equally emphasised on the need for gender mainstreaming in preventing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country, stating that the workshop was anchored in key international frameworks, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.
Penpushing also Ribadu emphasized that the resolution emphasises the critical need to protect women from the impacts of conflict while also ensuring their full participation in peacebuilding and security initiatives.
“Moreover, the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons underscores the collective responsibility of our region in curbing the spread of these dangerous weapons, which disproportionately affect women and children in conflict zones’.
‘The importance of gender mainstreaming in preventing the proliferation of SALW cannot be overstated as it strengthens our strategies, and ensures that our approach to security is inclusive and sustainable,” he said.
Penpushing reports that the National Security Adviser (NSA), commended National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), for its efforts towards addressing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria.
The National Coordinator of National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Johnson Kokumo, In his opening remarks said the centre has, in recent times, made some significant achievements in the fight against the illegal proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
Penpushing further reports that the retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, stated that the centre had on 1 July, retrieved a substantial cache of illegal arms from the Nigeria Customs Service and subsequent arrest of 10 suspects involved in the illicit importation.
The former police boss said the suspects were currently being prosecuted by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) for illegal importation into Nigeria, prohibited 544 Firearms and 112,500 rounds of cartridges contrary to Section 3 (6) of Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 among other offences.
Penpushing also reports that he pointed out that this underscores National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) commitment to not only intercepting arms but also ensuring that those responsible for these acts face the full weight of the law.
“In addition to the above, the National Centre has retrieved a total of quantity 3,383 decommissioned, unserviceable, obsolete and illicit small arms and light weapons and 26,749 various calibres of ammunition from the arms bearing agencies of government’, Kokumo said.
“Later in this quarter, NCCSALW would be conducting an Arms Destruction Exercise which is a critical step in ensuring that recovered arms are permanently removed from circulation’, the retired policeman added he said.
Penpushing reports that Kokumo said the illegal flow of small arms and light weapons had devastating consequences, fuelling violence, instability and insecurity in various parts of the world, noting that gender mainstreaming in SALW control was not only a moral imperative but also a strategic move, considering the grave impact of armed conflict on women and children.
The former Deputy Inspector General of Police said this, highlighted the need for a gender-sensitive approach to disarmament and security policies, adding that the workshop was a significant step in ensuring that gender perspectives are integrated into national and regional strategies for Small Arms and Light Weapons control.
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