The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has handed over 3,980 arms, 2,358 ammunition, and 1,057 cartridges recovered from criminals to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).

Handing over the items to NCCSALW in Abuja on Thursday, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, said the small arms and light weapons were recovered by the police in various operations across the country.

The IGP, who was represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Finance and Administration, Mohammed Dan-Malam, said the arms and ammunition include 265 automatic rifles, 146 pump action guns, 1,909 locally fabricated pistols, 1,500 locally made single barrel guns, and 98 locally made double barrel guns.

Others were 46 general-purpose machine guns, 16 locally-made rocket launchers, two locally-made anti-craft guns, seven rocket-propelled grenade, 2,358 assorted ammunitions, and 1,057 assorted cartridges.

Baba said the proliferation of small arms and light weapons was a major threat to the peace and security of the country.

He said: “Violence, banditry, secessionist movement, armed robbery, kidnapping and communal clashes are fueled by proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

“It is in this regard that the President, Muhammadu Buhari established the NCCSALW to curb the threats of the proliferation of illegal arms and ammunition trafficking.

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“The Nigeria Police Force under my leadership has been evaluating and revaluating our operational strategies while strengthening our institutional capacity.

“This is in relation to the generation of actionable intelligence and the conduct of special operations directed at proactively checking this menace.”

Baba said the police, which is the lead agency in internal security, has been in the forefront of mopping up weapons from criminal syndicates and members of the public.

In his remarks, the NCCSALW National Coordinator, Maj.- Gen. Mohammed Dikko (Retd), said the centre was established two years ago with the mandate to mop up illicit arms and ammunition.

He stated that the centre, in pursuit of this mandate, has been collaborating with security agencies to rid society of the catalyst that fuel criminalities and other vices.

Dikko said the first collection of illicit weapons by the centre was in Bauchi State where the handover was done by the Commissioner of Police in the state.

The national coordinator further stated that banditry, kidnapping cattle rustling, terrorism, and other criminalities were fueled by illicit weapons.

“In our efforts to remove these weapons from circulation, we shall continue to partner with all security and intelligence agencies to nip this in the bud.

“What we have received today will form part of the decision-making process to segregate those that are serviceable and those unserviceable.

“Identify those that were illegally brought into Nigeria and those traded into the country through third and fourth parties,” he said.

The Star