The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), North Central Zone, has cautioned members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) against confronting armed individuals or getting involved in community conflicts as part of efforts to curb insecurity and prevent the spread of illegal weapons across communities.
The Centre advised corps members to remain neutral and channel all security concerns through appropriate authorities, including security agencies and NYSC Local Government Inspectors.
The warning was delivered during a sensitisation and advocacy programme organised for 2,484 corps members of Batch ‘A’ Stream II at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Paiko, Niger State.
The sensitisation exercise was led by the Zonal Assistant Director, Support Services, Lt. Col. O.K. Olagunju, who educated corps members from Niger State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the dangers posed by the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) and the role youths can play in promoting peace and national security.
Speaking during the programme, Lt. Col. Olagunju explained that small arms are weapons operated by one person, including pistols, rifles and AK-47s, while light weapons are handled by a small group and include machine guns and grenade launchers.
He noted that the widespread circulation of illegal weapons has continued to fuel terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and communal clashes across the country.
According to him, factors responsible for the uncontrolled spread of SALWs include illegal cross-border trafficking, theft of weapons from security agencies, local fabrication of arms, and conflicts within and outside Nigeria.
Lt. Col. Olagunju warned that the increasing proliferation of illicit arms poses a serious threat to national unity, economic development and sustainable growth, especially as young people are increasingly being recruited into violent groups.
He urged corps members to serve as ambassadors of peace in their host communities by promoting peaceful coexistence, engaging in public enlightenment campaigns and reporting suspicious activities to security agencies.
The NCCSALW official further disclosed that the Federal Government established the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in 2021 through a Presidential Order to strengthen arms control coordination across the country.
He added that the Centre received legal backing in 2024 from President .
According to him, the Centre operates under the Office of the National Security Adviser and is headed by . Its responsibilities include coordinating arms control policies, conducting public sensitisation campaigns and facilitating the recovery and destruction of illicit weapons.
The session also featured an interactive question-and-answer segment where corps members sought clarification on the classification of SALWs and the appropriate procedures for reporting security concerns.
