The Presidential Committee of Small Arms and Light Weapons (PRESCOM) has destroyed 700 weapons recovered from cattle rustlers in Kaduna state.
The Chairman of PRESCOM, Amb. Emmanuel Imohe spoke at the arms destruction programme which held at the 35 Battalion, Nacinta Barracks, Katsina on Monday.
He noted that there were over 690 million illicit arms and light weapons in circulation across the world with about eight million of them traceable to the West African sub-region.
The arms destruction programme was part of the activities to mark the 2017 edition of the United Nations Arms Destruction Day.
Citing the International Action Network of Small Arms (IANSA), Imohe said that more than 500,00 people lose their lives due to proliferation, noting that PRESCOM was working with global and local partners to check the trend of illegal arms and weapons proliferation in the Nigeria.
In line with this, PRESCOM has dedicated 2017-2018 as Disarmament/Arms destruction Year in collaboration with state government, especially to conduct practical disarmament of and arms recovery in selected border communities across the country.
He said the disarmament is being implemented in seven states of the country, including Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara in the North West and Cross River and Akwa Ibom state in the South-South.
He added that, 700 assorted weapons including grenades, automatic as well as semi-automatic weapon were recovered from repentant cattle rustlers from across Katsina State.
In his message, Governor Aminu Bello Masari described his government’s amnesty programme as being in its infancy stage including that the project has been an authentic tool designed to reduce crime in the area.
According to Masari who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the State (SGS), Mustapha Inuwa, “world leaders should ensure strict regulation of small arms and light weapons trade and support developing nations in combating the scourge of illicit arms and light weapons proliferation, insurgencies, ethnic conflicts and religious intolerance.”
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