The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), under the Office of the National Security Adviser, has intensified its efforts to reduce the spread of illegal arms across Nigeria by working more closely with key security and government partners.
As part of this renewed push, the Director-General of the centre, Johnson Kokumo, paid a three-day working visit to Maiduguri in Borno State. The visit was aimed at strengthening cooperation with stakeholders and improving strategies to address the growing challenge of small arms and light weapons in the North-East.
During a dinner and stakeholder meeting attended by officials of the Borno State Government and various security agencies, Kokumo stressed that stronger collaboration between institutions is essential to reducing the circulation of illegal weapons and improving national security.
He was represented at the event by the Director of Administration and Finance of the NCCSALW, Brig.-Gen. M. S. Adamu, who explained that the agency is working closely with security forces and other partners to recover illegal weapons for proper destruction.
He also noted that the Federal Government has empowered the centre to take legal action against individuals involved in the illegal arms trade, adding that continued cooperation from stakeholders is very important for success.
According to him, the NCCSALW was created through an Act of the National Assembly in 2024 to address issues such as illegal possession, trafficking, misuse, and spread of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria.
He further explained that the North-East Zonal Office of the centre, based in Maiduguri, is responsible for Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe States.
The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, represented by his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Brig.-Gen. Ishak, praised the efforts of the centre and assured continued support from the state government in tackling the problem of illegal arms.
Also speaking, the North-East Zonal Director of NCCSALW, Maj.-Gen. Abubakar Adamu (retd), reaffirmed the centre’s commitment to building strong partnerships that will ensure proper control, tracking, and management of recovered weapons.
The engagement was attended by several stakeholders, including representatives of civil society groups, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), DSS, NDLEA, Immigration Service, Customs, NSCDC, and senior officials of the centre.
During the visit, Kokumo also met with staff of the centre, encouraging them to remain disciplined, focused, and professional in carrying out their responsibilities.
He further inspected ongoing construction work at the North-East permanent site of the centre, visited the Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI, Maj.-Gen. A. E. Abubakar, and also inspected a proposed site for an armoury facility aimed at improving weapons management in the region.