Pulse.ng : Collaboration With DICON To Bolden Campaign Against Arms Proliferation In Nigeria

By Muhammad Tijjani

The Director General (DG) National Centre for Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSLW), DIG Johnson Babatunde retired, has reiterated his commitment for effective collaboration with the Defense Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) as way of taming proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria.

This was contained in a statement on Thursday by Maj. HM Sani, Deputy Director Information/Media of DICON

Sani said that DIG Johnson made the remarks when the DICON's DG Maj.-Gen. Aniedi Edet paid him a courtesy visit in his office at Abuja.

He emphasised that DICON status as a critical national infrastructure had a lot to contribute toward addressing proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons that aggregate security challenges in Nigeria.

DIG Johnson thanked the President and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces President Bola Tinubu for assenting the NCCSLW bill into law thereby giving the organisation the requisite legal framework to conduct and accomplish its mandate.

He also congratulated the DICON's DG for a successful DICON at 60 anniversary and maiden Africa Defense Seminar, adding that DICON remains a critical entity that will change the narrative in the country's approach to combat insecurity.

In a remarks, the DG DICON, Maj.-Gen Edet, commended the pivotal role being played by the Centre through prevention of illicit manufacturing, transfer and circulation of small arms and light weapons saying that the critical role was a force multiplier to the effort of the Armed Forces in tackling insurgency, banditry and other security challenges in the Country.

General Edet pleadged his readiness towards ensuring that DICON collaborate with NCCSLW for mutual benefits through weapon marking, tracking and systematic destructions.

General Edet affirmed that the presidential assent of DICON act has created a conducive atmosphere for the attainment of military industrial complex that would not only assist in curbing insecurity but also provide employment opportunities to Nigeria's teeming youth.

Highpoints of the visit was interactive session, presentation of souvenirs and group photograph.