The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, has reaffirmed its commitment to combating the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, assuring the public of professionalism and accountability in arms handling.
The FCT Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, gave the assurance when he received the Zonal Director, North Central, National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Abdul Adamu Enenche, during a sensitisation visit to the Command headquarters in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.
Odumosu identified porous national borders as a major factor contributing to the illegal circulation of arms, warning that weapons in the hands of non-state actors pose serious threats to national security, peace and socio-economic development.
He said arms proliferation fuels criminal activities, including vandalism, banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery, stressing that the Corps would continue to address the menace through intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration and professionalism.
According to him, the Command maintains strict standards in arms handling, with officers subjected to discipline and accountability to prevent incidents of accidental discharge.
He added that the Command would sustain the training and retraining of personnel on weapons handling, human rights and operational best practices.
The Commandant also pledged the Corps’ readiness to collaborate with the Centre, particularly in intelligence sharing, border monitoring and efforts to check illegal arms manufacturing and cross-border trafficking.
Earlier, Enenche said the visit was part of efforts to sensitise arms-bearing agencies, religious organisations and traditional institutions on the need to control the spread of small arms and light weapons.
He identified porous borders, international maritime routes, illegal jetties and local arms manufacturers as major sources of illicit weapons.
Enenche said the Centre was seeking stronger collaboration with the NSCDC to ensure recovered illegal weapons were transferred to it for proper custody after preliminary investigations.
He commended Odumosu for his contributions to the security of lives and property and presented him with an Award of Excellence in recognition of his service.
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