National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, NCCSALW, and corps members have taken the illicit arms campaign to Government College, Maiduguri, Borno State.
North-East Zonal Director of NCCSALW, Rear Admiral Muhammed Shuwa (rtd), who spoke at the sensitisation talk yesterday in Maiduguri, highlighted the importance of educating youths on the dangers associated with illicit arms right from school.
Shuwa, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Strategic Communications and Information, NCCSALW North-East, Mr Aminu Saleh, said the school-based sensitisation campaign against illicit arms is targeted at curtailing the menace at the grassroots.
According to him, taking the enlightenment campaign to educational institutions has become necessary considering how young people are being recruited into terrorism and insurgent groups in the region.
Shuwa said NCCSALW had been working diligently with all arms-bearing security agencies and international partners to control illegal arms and proliferation in the region.
The zonal director, however, said his office had embarked on train the trainers programme, specially for corps members through the anti-Small Arms and Light Weapons, SALW, association set up by the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Community Development Service, CDS, group.
He appreciated the efforts of the NYSC Small Arms and Light Weapons CDS in sensitising students and the general public on the dangers of illegal use of weapons.
Shuwa also appreciated the principal of Government College, Maiduguri for allowing the NYSC Small and Light Weapons CDS group to carry out the advocacy on the dangers of small and light weapons to students.
The zonal director said the programme is part of NCCSALW’s mandate of checkmating the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, hence it is partnering stakeholders, including NYSC to control the use and proliferation of such weapons in the society.
He said Boko Haram insurgency had ravaged Borno and other states in the North-East due to the proliferation of weapons to youths who used it to inflict death, pain and destroy property of the people.
He called for the support of all corps members, the media and other stakeholders to build a safer country.
Also speaking, the NYSC State Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Jiya urged students to champion the sensitisation campaign against illegal arms in their communities by asking anyone in their neighbourhood who owns a gun to drop it.
Jiya, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Skills Acquisition, Entrepreneurship Development, Mr Mshelia Danjuma, lauded the CDS group for making NYSC proud through advocacy on the dangers of small and light weapons.
President of the CDS on SALW in Borno, Mr Ebaluana Cornelius said the association was established on March 24, 2024 with the aim of tackling small and light weapons in the state.
He encouraged students to choose their pen against gun for a peaceful society and advised them to take the lectures delivered by the various speakers seriously. (NAN)
