Destruction of illicit weapons begins

Nigeria began the destruction of its stockpile of illicit weapons on Friday by setting on fire 2,421 guns of various types in the northern city of Kaduna, one of three national centres selected for the purpose.

The chief of defence staff, Vice-Admiral Ibrahim Ogohi, supervised the destruction of the weapons. He said public weapons destructions would also be carried out by the navy in Lagos, and by the air force in the central town of Makurdi, which has an air force base.

Weapons destroyed in Kaduna included submachine guns, automatic and pump-action rifles, double-barrelled shotguns, pistols and dane guns. They were seized from armed robbers, illegal dealers or participants in the communal conflicts that have rocked Nigeria over the past two years.

“With the current spate of violence in the country, which is mainly facilitated through easy access to arms and ammunition from illegal gunrunners, the country is gradually shifting from absolute stability to uncertainty and fear,” Ogohi said at the ceremony.

Nigerians no longer can afford to take safety for granted whether at home or
on the highways due to the menace of armed robbers, he said. He added that disputes between communities that used to be settled by elders have easily escalated into armed conflicts in recent times because illicit weapons are easy to obtain.

“The government does not intend to stand by idly and watch the destruction of its citizens by illicit arms dealers,” he said.

Nigeria and other members of the Economic Community of Western African
States signed a small arms moratorium in 1999 with a view to controlling the
flow of small and light weapons within countries and across the region’s borders. The availability of such weapons has been recognised as a strong factor in the instability that has afflicted the region.

A number of other West African countries, including Mali, planned to stage similar arms destruction ceremonies to coincide with Monday’s opening of the UN conference on small arms in New York.