NCCSALW, youth corps members take illicit arms campaign to schools in Borno

The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) and youth corps members have taken illicit arms campaign to Government College Maiduguri.

Rear admiral Muhammed Shuwa (rtd), the North-east Zonal Director of the NCCSALW, who spoke at the sensitisation talk on Tuesday in Maiduguri highlighted the importance of educating youths on danger associated with illicit arms right from school.

Shuwa, who was represented by Mr Aminu Saleh, Assistant Director, Strategic Communications and Information, NCCSALW North-east, said the school-based sensitisation campaign against illicit arms was targeted at curtailing the menace at 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, hence the need to tackle the problem.

Shuwa said that the NCCSALW has 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 organised for youths corps members through the anti Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) association set up by the NYSC Community Development Service Group (CDS).

He appreciated the efforts of the NYSC Small Arms and Light Weapons CDS in sensitising the students and the general public on dangers of illegal use of the weapons.

Shuwa appreciated the Principal of Government College Maiduguri for giving the NYSC Small and Light weapons CDS Group to carry the advocacy on the dangers of Small and Light weapons to the students of his college.

The zonal director further told the students that the programme was part of the NCCSALW mandate of checkmating proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, hence it was partnering with stakeholders, including NYSC to control the use and proliferation of such weapons in the society.

He said that the Boko Haram insurgency had ravaged Borno and other states of the North-East resulted from the proliferation of the weapons to the youths who used to inflicted deaths, pain and destroyed property of the people of the region.

“We have been working with the NYSC CDS Group to sensitise the populace on dangers of illegal use of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the society, ” Shuwa said.

The zonal director said that there was a steadfast commitment to the mandate and mission of promoting peace and security in the nation.

He called for the support of all corps members, the media and other stakeholders in furthering the mission of the centre 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 gun to drop it.

Jiya, who was represented by Mr Mshelia Danjuma, Assistant Director, Skill Acquisition, Entrepreneur Development,
lauded the NYSC CDS Group for making the NYSC proud through the advocacy of the dangers of Small and Light weapons to the people.

Mr Ebaluana Cornelius, the President of the CDS on SALW in Borno, said the association was established on March 24, 2024 with the aim of tackling Small And Light Weapons in the state.

Cornelius said the sensitisation campaign was aimed at equipping students and the populace with the knowledge on how to prevent themselves from being harmed from those in possession with arms.

He encouraged students to choose their pen against gun for a peaceful society and advised them to take lectures delivered by the various speakers very serious.

Cornelius also enjoined the students to understand that the state and its people passed through pains as a result of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the hands of Boko Haram terrorists.

Another speaker, a youth corps member,
Hadiza Usman, warned students against being used by insurgent groups to engage in criminal activities.

Usman said that the consequences of carrying Small Arms and Light Weapons was not limited to the person in possession of the arm but its effect cut through families, communities, schools and entire state.

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