Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to work hand-in-hand with the Federal Government to curb the spread of small arms and light weapons across the country.
Governor Otti gave the assurance when he received the new South-East Zonal Director of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Captain Chris Anusiem, and his team at Government House, Umuahia.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for strengthening the Federal Government’s fight against illicit weapons through the establishment of the centre and the appointment of his “long-time friend,” DIG Johnson Babatunde Kukum, as Director-General of NCCSALW.
“Virtually all the crimes you see around are committed with light weapons and small arms,” Otti said. “If we don’t eliminate them, or at least reduce them to the barest minimum, we cannot have peace. Security is central to everything we do, and it cannot be handled in silos. We will continue to collaborate with federal agencies to achieve this goal.”
Highlighting the joint security council meetings regularly held in Abia, the Governor stressed the importance of inter-state and inter-agency cooperation to ensure that criminals cannot evade justice by fleeing to neighbouring states.
Captain Anusiem, in his remarks, described the NCCSALW as a key Federal Government initiative to build an illicit-arms-free society, pledging close collaboration with Abia State to keep the region safe. He lauded the Governor’s commitment to peace and security, noting that the proliferation of small arms in the Sahel and beyond remains a major national challenge.
The Governor’s Special Adviser on Security, Navy Commander MacDonald Uba, and other top officials were present at the meeting.
