60% Of Illegal Fire Arms In The South East Zone Are Locally Made

Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons, PRESCOM, stakeholders’ sensitization forum, held at Enugu for South East zone, has revealed that about 60 per cent of the illegal arms in the zone are produced locally.

Professor Aloysius Okolie, South East coordinator on House Survey, of PRESCOM, said this during a two-day stakeholders’ sensitization forum on the comprehensive national Small Arms and Light Weapons, SALW, survey in Nigeria in Enugu.

“The essence of the survey is not for the government to embark on disarmament, but to find out those factors that motivate people into acquiring such armsand sources of the arms.“Some communities are known for their natural fabrication of arms,” he said, adding that politicians were part of arms proliferation in the area and most of the political leaders helped in the importation and fabrication of arms.

PRESCOM coordinator, Mr. Dickson Orji, stated that the essence of the forum was to give room for information and interaction on how to curtail proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country.

“It will create awareness on the socio-economic impact of illicit small arms and light weapons proliferation in Nigeria and sensitize the Nigerian populace on the proposed comprehensive SALW survey in Nigeria.