The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) has raised the alarm over the proliferation of illegal firearms in Nigeria’s North Central region, warning that the trend is fuelling banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
The Director-General of the centre, Johnson Kokumo, raised the concern during a visit to the North Central Zonal Centre in Minna, Niger State.
The Zonal Coordinator, Abdul Enenche, said the widespread circulation of small arms and light weapons had significantly worsened the security situation across the region.
According to Enenche, criminal groups are exploiting vast forest areas in some states to establish hideouts, making it increasingly difficult for security agencies to locate and apprehend them.
He said states such as Kwara and Plateau, which were previously regarded as relatively peaceful, were now battling serious security threats linked to the movement and proliferation of illicit firearms.
Enenche also identified porous borders as a major factor sustaining the illegal arms trade, saying criminal networks were exploiting the situation to move weapons across the region.
He raised further concerns about the activities of informants, who he said were undermining security operations by providing criminal groups with information about planned raids and other enforcement operations.
The zonal coordinator also drew attention to mining sites across the region, warning that they had become vulnerable to the circulation and use of small arms and light weapons.
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He said the NCCSALW was intensifying efforts to disrupt the illegal arms trade while strengthening collaboration with security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
As part of its enforcement efforts, the North Central Zonal Centre is currently prosecuting two suspected gun runners before the High Court in Minna.
Enenche stressed that tracing and dismantling the networks responsible for the supply and movement of illegal firearms remained crucial to tackling banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the region.
The NCCSALW said it would continue working with security agencies and other stakeholders to curb the proliferation of illicit weapons and improve security across the North Central region.
