By Roundoffnews
The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, South West Zone has sought the cooperation of stakeholders in the judicial sector towards achieving seamless forfeiture and disposal of small arms and light weapons after court judgement.
This is one of the resolutions reached in Ado Ekiti at a seminar for judges, Security Chiefs, lawyers and other relevant stakeholders on the theme “Strengthening Procedural Approaches for The Forfeiture and Safe Disposal of Small Arms and Light Weapons After Court’s Judgement”.
Findings by scholars and relevant agencies including the United Nations has identified the proliferation of small arms and light weapons as a major factor contributing to insecurity globally in which Nigeria is not an exception.
The need to mop-up the weapons and ensure a clean society necessitated the interactive session organized by the Southwest Zone of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons as confirmed by the Director Legal Services, Mrs. Chioma Onuegbu.
Her words, “The aims and objectives of this workshop is to curtail the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, especially those arms that gone through the criminal justice system.
“That is from investigation, prosecution, and then judgments. So what happens to those weapons after judgments? That is exactly what we want to quartile so that those exhibits tendered in court shouldn’t go back to the society, to those criminals.
“We want, at the time of judgment, the prosecutor will ask the court to forfeit those exhibits to federal government, precisely the control the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons”.
Mrs. Onuegbu was corroborated by the Zonal Director Southwest Zone, Mr
Ben Sola-Akinlade who reiterated the commitment of the centre to adopting pragmatic measures towards mopping up all illicit weapons from unauthorized persons due to the danger involved.
In his paper presentation, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Julius Ajibare identified corruption, porous border and poor control of arms as factors responsible for proliferation of weapons.
He noted that the illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons is a major factor responsible for terrorism and other forms of armed violence.
He said:“It is apt to state that we are opening today another new vista in this undoubtedly challenging era when threats to security, peace and development have become a focal concern.
“The illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons as a global problem closely tied to terrorism and other forms of armed violence, the worldwide drug problem, trans-national organized crime, mercenary activities, the rise in social violence, promotion of corruption and other criminal constitute threats to peace, stability, development and post conflict reconstruction”.
Participants at the programme commended the organizers for the seminar and promised to spread the knowledge gained.