The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) says it has seized and destroyed 16,000 illicit arms and light weapons across Nigeria in the past four years, as part of efforts to curb insecurity and enhance public safety.

The Director-General of the Centre, Rtd. DIG Johnson Kokumo, disclosed this during an administrative and operational visit to the North-West Zonal Office in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Kokumo said the visit was aimed at assessing the effectiveness of the Centre’s regional structures and strengthening its operational mandate.

He noted that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons remained a major driver of banditry, insurgency and other violent crimes, particularly in vulnerable regions.

According to him, the Centre is committed to eliminating illegal arms through intelligence-driven operations and sustained collaboration with security and law enforcement agencies.

“The successes recorded so far reflect the impact of joint efforts in addressing the menace of illicit arms proliferation,” he said.

The North-West Zonal Office of the Centre covers Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.

In his remarks, the Zonal Director, Rtd. Commodore Jibril Mukhtar, described the visit as a morale booster for personnel and a demonstration of the leadership’s commitment to field operations.

Mukhtar said the region had recorded relative calm in recent times, attributing the development partly to the recovery and destruction of illegal arms.

He assured that the command would continue to uphold professionalism and align with the Centre’s objectives.

As part of the tour, Kokumo visited the Kaduna State Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, where he held talks with officials on strengthening inter-agency collaboration and intelligence sharing.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Muhammad Bashir, who received Kokumo, reaffirmed the Kaduna government commitment to supporting federal initiatives aimed at controlling the spread of illicit arms.

He emphasised the need for intelligence sharing, community engagement and institutional collaboration to achieve sustainable security.

Kokumo also visited the Nigerian Air Force Air Training Command, Kaduna, where he highlighted the importance of military synergy in tackling illicit arms proliferation.

He also inspected the ongoing construction of a permanent North-West Zonal Office, which he said would enhance operational efficiency, coordination and rapid response in the region.(NAN