Insecurity: LITE-Africa Donates Armoury Facility To NIS In A’Ibom
Worried by over six million small arms and light weapons in circulation, Leadership Initiative for Transformation and Empowerment (LITE) Africa has donated a tent armoury facility to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Akwa Ibom State.
Making the presentation at NIS Control Post in Oron LGA on Wednesday, the Executive Director of LITE-Africa, Dr Joel Bisina said the essence of the facility is to serve as storage of weapons being mobbed up from circulation.
The Executive Director represented by Tolu Oyero, Finance and Administrative Manager of LITE-Africa, who lamented that the smuggling of illicit arms into the country has stalled the development of the nation through kidnapping, banditry and other vices, added that the move would prevent further proliferation of arms thereby, promoting peace and security in its borders.
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“This is aimed at preventing further proliferation of illicit trafficking and flow of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in Nigeria and promoting peace and security in our borders.
“The SALW action is designed to sensitize border communities, strengthen the capacity of national security institutions personnel on border and arm stockpile management, armoury security and arms destruction as well as provision of alternative livelihood.
Bisina, who said that the facility with 40ft solar power which houses shelter and office spaces for security personnel, hinted that they were simultaneously being donated to different security agencies at border communities in the seven Action States including, Akwa Ibom, Cross-River, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara.
He expressed optimism that the facilities would boost the morale of security personnel, facilitate and support arms and weapons collection exercises at the nation’s territorial borders.
Receiving the donation, the State Comptroller of Nigeria Immigration Service, Compt. George Didel commended the organization for supporting security agencies in their fight against insurgencies confronting the nation.
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Didel lamented that proliferation of arms has posed a big problem to the nation as the illicit arms possessed by the unauthorized individuals were constantly being used in committing various crimes against innocent citizens.
He assured LITE-Africa that NIS, which the facility was being donated to, would maintain and put the building to proper use for the security of the masses.
Didel, however, revealed that the total weapon with security agencies was about 500,000 while the ones in circulation were over 6million according to some reports.
Our correspondent reports that the shelter armoury facility donated by LITE-Africa was sponsored by the European Union (EU) through the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS).
