As part of efforts to curb insecurity and prevent the proliferation of illegal weapons across communities, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), North Central Zone, has cautioned members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) against confronting armed individuals or getting involved in community conflicts.
The Centre advised corps members to remain neutral and report security concerns through appropriate channels, including security agencies and NYSC Local Government Inspectors.
The warning was issued during a sensitisation and advocacy programme organised for 2,484 corps members of Batch ‘A’ Stream II at the Orientation Camp in Paiko, Niger State.
The exercise, led by the Zonal Assistant Director, Support Services, Lt. Col. O.K. Olagunju, focused on educating corps members from Niger State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the dangers of the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs), as well as their role in promoting peace and national security.
Addressing the participants, Lt. Col. Olagunju explained that small arms are weapons operated by one person, such as pistols, rifles and AK-47s, while light weapons are handled by a small group and include machine guns and grenade launchers.
He noted that the widespread circulation of illegal weapons continues to fuel terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and communal clashes across the country.
According to him, factors responsible for the uncontrolled spread of SALWs include illegal cross-border trafficking, theft of weapons from security agencies, local fabrication, and ongoing conflicts within and outside Nigeria.
Lt. Col. Olagunju warned that the growing proliferation of illicit arms poses a serious threat to national unity, economic development and sustainable growth, particularly as young people are increasingly targeted for recruitment into violent groups.
He urged corps members to see themselves as ambassadors of peace in their host communities by promoting peaceful coexistence, engaging in public enlightenment and reporting suspicious activities to security agencies.
He further disclosed that the Federal Government established the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in 2021 through a Presidential Order to strengthen arms control coordination nationwide, adding that the Centre was given legal backing in 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to him, the Centre, which operates under the Office of the National Security Adviser and is headed by DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, is responsible for coordinating arms control policies, conducting public sensitisation campaigns and facilitating the recovery and destruction of illicit weapons.
The session featured an interactive question-and-answer segment where corps members sought clarification on the classification of SALWs and appropriate reporting procedures.
