The Nigeria Police supervise the handing over of 3,980 arms of different calibres to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The Inspector-General of Police IGP, Usman Alkali handed over arms comprising of 265 automatic rifles; 146 pump action guns; 1,909 locally fabricated pistols; 1,500 locally made single barrel guns; 98 locally made double barrel guns; 46 General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs); 16 locally made rocket launchers; 2 locally made Anti-Aircraft (AA) guns; and 7 Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs).
PRESS RELEASE
POLICE HANDS OVER 3,980 ARMS, 2,358 AMMUNITION, 1,057 CARTRIDGES TO CENTRE FOR CONTROL OF SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONSAs IGP Reaffirms Commitment to Continually Partner NCCSALW for Achievement of Constitutional Mandate pic.twitter.com/k2UUVcpuHG
— Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) February 16, 2023
About 2,358 assorted calibres of ammunition and 1,057 assorted cartridges were equally handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
IGP Alkali stressed that the exercise is part of the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force, as a lead agency in internal security management, to curb the threat of the proliferation of illegal Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) trafficking within the country.
He similarly stated that the Nigeria Police Force under his leadership has been evaluating and re-evaluating its operational strategies while strengthening institutional capacity in relation to the generation of actionable intelligence and the conduct of special operations directed at pro-actively checkmating the menace of arms proliferation.
On this note, the Police Chief has directed Commissioners of Police in charge of State Police Commands and their supervisory Assistant Inspectors-General of Police including Heads of Tactical Units of the Force to aggressively sustain the mop-up exercise in order to actualize the mandate of the Federal Government on the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
The Inspector-General of Police re-affirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force and his assurance that the Nigeria Police Force will continue to partner with the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) as both institutions strive to achieve the mandate of the Federal Government on the control of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country.
Responding, the National Coordinator National center for control of small arms and light weapons, Major General Aba Dikko Retired, who commended the Force for the mop up said the serviceable arms after due profiling will be remapped to security agencies for their use to protect the nation.
Major General Dikko added that those found culpable in the proliferation of these recovered Arms will be trailed and brought to book.
