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3000 Illegal Weapons Seized Across Nigeria In 18 Months — Arms Control Centre

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1 year ago

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The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) says it recovered over 3,000 illegal arms in the last 18 months.

Abba Dikko, the national coordinator of the center, spoke on Wednesday in Kaduna.

Dikko said the recovery was part of ongoing efforts to stop the proliferation of illicit firearms in the country.

He said the recovered arms would be destroyed in Kaduna on Thursday while reiterating the determination of the center in ensuring that only authorized persons possess firearms in the country.

He said the illegal acquisition of firearms has contributed immensely to the security challenges in Nigeria.

“Since the take-off of the center in May 2021, tremendous achievements have been recorded and landmark progress made and within the period under review over 3000 arms were recovered,” Dikko said.

“We are at the moment under the guidance of the national security adviser before the bill for our establishment is passed into law to fulfill the mandate of the ECOWAS charter of 2006, in which Nigeria was a signatory nation.

“It mandated member states to establish a commission to regulate the acquisition, use, and disposal of small and light weapons.

“It is only Nigeria and Ghana where the commission is yet to be given legal teeth to carry out its function as required.”

Dikko said the center has decentralized its activities to enhance its effectiveness.

“For effective administration, we have centers across the six geopolitical zones where our activities are coordinated of ensuring the mopping up of illicit weapons from the society,” he added.

“You can attest that our efforts are yielding results, considering the volume of arms recovered in the past 18 months from south-south, south-east, north-central, and north-west geopolitical zones of this country.”

The coordinator said useful metals from the destroyed arms would be given to appropriate government authorities for other purposes.

Dikko assured that the confiscation of illegal arms would be a sustained exercise to ensure lasting peace in Nigeria.

“It is a collective responsibility and efforts must be sustained, especially by members of the media, in this fight against the spread of small arms and light weapons in our society,” he said.

“The destruction of this over 3000 firearms would be a continuous occurrence until all nooks and crannies of this beautiful country are certified free of illicit small and light weapons.”

Dikko added that local manufacturers of light weapons would be identified and mainstreamed into the military-industrial corporation.

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BIG STORY

Avoid Panic Buying, We’re Not Changing Petrol Prices — NNPCL To Nigerians

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4 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says there is no place to change the prices of petroleum products.

In a statement on Thursday by Femi Soneye, its spokesperson, the NNPC asked Nigerians to avoid panic buying.

The national oil firm said the limited availability of petrol in certain regions of the nation is a result of logistical problems.

However, the company said the challenge has been fixed.

“The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) wishes to clarify that the tightness in the supply of Premium Motor Spirit currently being experienced in some areas across the country is as a result of logistics issues and that they have been resolved,” the statement reads.

“It also wishes to reiterate that the prices of petroleum products are not changing.

“It urges Nigerians to avoid panic buying as there is a sufficiency of products in the country.”

On March 24, the NNPC denied adjusting the pump price of petrol across its retail outlets.

This came after the organisation had promised Nigerians that there would not be any increase in the cost of petrol on February 9.

The NNPC also reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining the current sufficiency in the supply of petroleum products across all its retail stations in the country.

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BIG STORY

Former Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi Wins Ondo PDP Gubernatorial Primary

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4 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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A former deputy governor of Ondo, Agboola Ajayi, has emerge winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial primary election in the state.

Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the deputy governor of Bayelsa, who chaired the electoral committee that supervised the poll, announced the results on Thursday in Akure, the state capital.

Ewhrudjakpo said Ajayi scored 264 votes to defeat other aspirants.

“By virtue of the results, Ajayi Alfred Agboola having scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner of this primary and hereby declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the November 2024 election and is hereby returned as the candidate,” he said.

Ajayi was the deputy governor of Ondo state from 2017 to 2021.

Kolade Akinjo, who came second in the election scored 157 votes while Olusola Ebiseni polled 99 votes to clinch the third position.

On June 21, 2020, Ajayi, a lawyer and businessman, resigned his membership from the ruling party All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the PDP.

He cited irreconcilable differences between him and his principal, the late Rotimi Akeredolu, the former governor of Ondo.

He then joined the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) after losing the PDP gubernatorial primary to Eyitayo Jegede and became the candidate of the party in 2020.

Ajayi had served as a councillor, chairman of Ese-Odo LGA, and house of representatives member before he was nominated by the late Akeredolu as his deputy in 2016.

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Former Senate Spokesperson Ayogu Eze Dies At 66

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10 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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Ayogu Eze, a former spokesperson for the Senate, passed away at the age of 66.

Eze, the senator from Enugu North Senatorial District from 2007 to 2015, died on Thursday in a hospital in Abuja following an undisclosed illness.

In May 2023, the Senate confirmed Eze as a federal Commissioner for Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission. Eze is also among the founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party.

In his years at the Senate, he also served as the chairman of the Senate Committee of Works and a member of committees on Constitutional Amendment, Police Affairs, National Planning, Marine Transport and Federal Character & Inter-Government Affairs.

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