As part of efforts to curb insecurity and prevent the spread of illegal weapons across communities, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), North Central Zone, has sensitized 2,484 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Niger State on the dangers of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) proliferation and their role in promoting peace and national security.
The sensitization and advocacy programme was held at the NYSC Batch ‘A’ Stream II Orientation Camp in Paiko, Minna, Niger was led by the Zonal Assistant Director, Support Services, Lt. Col. O.K. Olagunju.
The exercise focused on equipping corps members from Niger State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with knowledge on the security threats posed by illegal arms and the importance of community-based intelligence gathering, peace building, and responsible citizenship.
Speaking during the session, Lt. Col. Olagunju described small arms as weapons operated by a single person, including pistols, rifles, and AK-47s, while light weapons are operated by a small group and include machine guns and grenade launchers.
He explained that the widespread availability and illegal circulation of such weapons continue to fuel terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, and communal conflicts across the country.
According to him, the uncontrolled proliferation of SALWs is driven by factors such as illegal cross-border trafficking, theft from security agencies, local fabrication, and conflicts within and outside Nigeria.
Lt. Col. Olagunju warned that the growing circulation of illegal arms poses a serious threat to national unity, economic growth, and sustainable development, especially as youths are increasingly targeted for recruitment into violent groups.
He stressed that corps members occupy a strategic position as agents of peace in their host communities and urged them to support efforts aimed at preventing violence through public enlightenment, peaceful dialogue, and timely reporting of suspicious activities to security agencies.
The NCCSALW official cautioned corps members against direct confrontation with armed individuals or involvement in community conflicts, advising them instead to maintain neutrality and report concerns through appropriate channels, including security agencies and NYSC Local Government Inspectors.
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 in the country, adding that the Centre was subsequently backed by law in 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Lt. Col. Olagunju noted that the Centre, domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser and headed by DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, is responsible for coordinating arms control policies, public sensitization campaigns, and the recovery and destruction of illicit weapons.
He called on the corps members to become ambassadors of peace in their various Places of Primary Assignment by speaking against violence and supporting national security efforts through credible information sharing.
The session featured active participation from the corps members, who engaged in an interactive question-and-answer segment and sought clarification on the classification of SALWs and appropriate reporting procedures.
Handbills and flyers containing contact lines for intelligence sharing with the Centre were later distributed to participants to encourage continuous collaboration in the fight against illegal arms proliferation.
