President Bola Tinubu has officially signed into law a bill establishing the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), marking a crucial step in Nigeria\u2019s fight against the proliferation of illegal arms. This legislative development is seen as a significant effort to combat the widespread threat posed by small arms and light weapons (SALW) across the country.<\/p>\n
The announcement was made by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, during a workshop on gender mainstreaming in arms control held in Abuja on Tuesday. The event, which focused on the role of women in arms control and peacebuilding, was organized by the newly established NCCSALW.<\/p>\n
Speaking on behalf of Ribadu, Ambassador Ibrahim Babani, Director of External Affairs at the Office of the NSA, described the president\u2019s approval of the bill as a monumental milestone in Nigeria\u2019s ongoing battle against illegal arms trafficking. According to Babani, the legislative support will equip the NCCSALW with the authority and capacity to take coordinated and decisive actions to curtail the spread of SALW.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis law represents a pivotal moment in our nation’s efforts to address the flow of illicit arms. It will empower the centre to not only track but intercept the illegal trade and trafficking of small arms and light weapons that have fueled violence and instability in various parts of Nigeria,\u201d Babani stated.<\/p>\n
During the workshop, Ribadu highlighted the importance of incorporating gender perspectives into arms control efforts. He emphasized that women and children are often disproportionately affected by armed conflicts, and their inclusion in peacebuilding efforts is critical to creating lasting solutions. He referenced the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, which calls for the protection of women in conflict zones and advocates for their involvement in peace processes and arms control initiatives.<\/p>\n
Ribadu also pointed to the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, stressing the collective responsibility of West African nations to address the proliferation of illegal weapons.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ECOWAS Convention underscores the shared responsibility of our region in curbing the spread of these dangerous weapons, which disproportionately affect women and children in conflict zones,\u201d Ribadu said. \u201cGender mainstreaming in preventing the proliferation of SALW strengthens our strategies and ensures that our approach to security is inclusive and sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his opening remarks, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Johnson Kokumo, the National Coordinator of NCCSALW, provided an update on the centre\u2019s recent accomplishments. He underscored the success of the centre in intercepting large caches of illegal arms and curbing illicit importation.<\/p>\n
Kokumo revealed that on July 1, the NCCSALW, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service, retrieved a significant stockpile of illegal arms and ammunition. The operation led to the seizure of 544 prohibited firearms and 112,500 rounds of cartridges. In addition, 10 suspects linked to the illicit importation were arrested and are currently being prosecuted under Section 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, among other charges.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis successful operation demonstrates the centre\u2019s ability to work closely with other agencies to tackle arms smuggling at its root. We remain committed to safeguarding the security of Nigerians by preventing the entry of these dangerous weapons into the country,\u201d Kokumo said.<\/p>\n
The establishment of the NCCSALW is seen as a long-term commitment by the government to address insecurity and violence fueled by illegal arms. The centre is expected to play a critical role in curbing the flow of SALW into the country and in fostering international cooperation to combat arms trafficking networks.<\/p>\n
The NCCSALW is also tasked with monitoring arms transfers, ensuring compliance with international arms control agreements, and raising public awareness about the dangers of illegal weapons. The centre\u2019s gender-inclusive approach, as highlighted by the workshop, aims to involve more women in peace and security initiatives, ensuring that efforts to combat arms proliferation consider the unique vulnerabilities and perspectives of all affected populations.<\/p>\n
As the centre begins its operations, it is anticipated that Nigeria\u2019s capacity to combat illegal arms trafficking will be strengthened, contributing to greater peace and stability in the country and the wider West African region. With the backing of both national legislation and international conventions, the NCCSALW is positioned to become a formidable institution in the fight against the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President Bola Tinubu has officially signed into law a bill establishing the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), marking a crucial step in Nigeria\u2019s fight against the proliferation of illegal arms. This legislative development is seen as a significant effort to combat the widespread threat posed by small arms […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":47345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48854"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48855,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48854\/revisions\/48855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}