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The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) has called on journalists in the country to raise awareness on the danger associated with the proliferation of illicit firearms and light weapons, saying that it has contributed to widespread insecurity and socioeconomic disruption across the country.
The North Central Zonal Coordinator of the Centre, Retired Major General Hamza Ibrahim Bature, made this appeal during an advocacy visit to the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ilorin on Tuesday.
He stressed the critical role of the media in educating the public about the risk inherent in illegal arms in circulation and their indiscriminate use in criminal activities such as cultism, banditry, assassination, kidnapping and other security threats.
According to him, the Centre is tasked with preventing, controlling, and retrieving illicit firearms that are already in circulation, particularly those in the possession of unauthorised individuals.
Bature expressed concern over the rising involvement of blacksmiths in the illegal fabrication of locally made firearms, many of which are now as sophisticated as those used by security agencies.
He urged journalists to expose individuals engaged in illegal arms production and report them to the police or the Department of State Services (DSS) to aid in the fight against illegal arms manufacturing and distribution.
Emphasizing the importance of collaboration, the retired General appealed to the NUJ to use its platforms to educate Nigerians about the devastating impact of small arms proliferation on national security, public safety, and economic stability.
In his response, the Chairman of the Kwara State Council of the NUJ, Abdullateef ‘Lanre Ahmed, commended the federal government for establishing the Centre, emphasizing the urgent need to curb the growing menace of illegal arms’ circulation.
He lamented that small arms proliferation often worsens during electioneering periods when political actors arm young people to advance their interests through violence.
“Many politicians arm youths for their selfish political agenda, but you will never see them giving weapons to their own children to become thugs. Like our people say, it is the child of another person that you send on an unholy errand. This is something the youth must reflect upon,” Ahmed stated.
He reaffirmed the commitment of journalists in Kwara State, particularly those in broadcast media, to ongoing public sensitization efforts, pledging to intensify awareness campaigns on the danger of illegal firearms.
The NUJ chairman also expressed concern over the alarming rate of illegal arms ownership, noting that many households now have, at least one individual, in possession of firearms, thus escalating insecurity in communities.
He called on security agencies to work closely with journalists and other stakeholders to ensure that illicit arms are retrieved from circulation and perpetrators brought to justice.
The NUJ chairman used the occasion to appreciate the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for intervening in the legal tussle involving some journalists and the GuarantyTrustBank, which resulted in the amicable settlement of the matter.
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