Consequently, it advised the public to be wary of fakes nationwide.
A statement by NCCSALW’s South-South Zonal Coordinator, Maj.-Gen. Ifiok Obot admonished the public to report such groups to nearest security agencies.
He restated that his group remained the only agency of government established to contain proliferation of small arms and light weapons nationwide.
Obot stated that NCCSALW came into existence through United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/55/25, recognising the spate of proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country and the world at large, which, he said, has increased cases of kidnapping, armed violence, banditry, terrorism and armed robbery.
The zonal coordinator cited the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate illicit Trade in SALW 2001 and Article 24 of ECOWAS Convention on SALW, Ammunition and other Related Materials 2006 as legal documents for control of SALW, to which Nigeria, is a signatory.
“The centre is saddled with the responsibility of collaborating with relevant stakeholders in monitoring and tracking movement and stockpile of illicit SALW within the country through sharing of credible and actionable information. It also monitors the country’s international borders and liaises with international and regional bodies on movement of SALW,” the coordinator added.
