By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The South-South zone of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, NCCSALW, has identified the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country as being responsible for high incidents of violence.
The organisation also accused operators of small scale and illegal security outfits, sometimes with fake names, as the ones behind high incidents of violence in the country.
The organisation stated that the authority concerned have the right to hold operators of these fake security outfits responsible for criminal-related offences since they are the ones making unqulified persons have access to all sort of arms and ammunition in the country.
The centre, which is the only agency of governent established to combat the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, SALW, in Nigeria warned that henceforth it would no longer fold it’s arms and watch brisk business men proliferate arms in the society.
The Zonal Cordinator of the centre, Major General Ofiok Martins Obot, raised the alarm in an interactive session with journalists on Monday in Calabar.
The center charged operators of the fake outfits to desist forthwith from parading themselves as operators of security outfits or be ready to face the wrath of the law.
He said, “Meanwhile, the centre has observed that some unscrupulous elements have sprung up psuedo-security outfits in whatever guise and nomenclature.
“Aimed at deceiving unsuspecting members of the public by parading themselves as the national organisation for control of illicit SALW.
“The public should be wary of such illegal groups and report them to the nearest security agency.”
A release signed by the organisation’s zonal Cordinator, urged members of the public not to hesitate to monitor the country’s international borders and liase with international and regional bodies on the movement of SALW within the West Africa sub-region.
