President Bola Tinubu has been urged to sign the Nigeria National Commission Against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons Establishment Bill into law.
Dr. Adejare Adegbenro, Acting Director-General, National Commission Against the Proliferation of Small Arms, Ammunition, Light Weapon, Chemical Weapon and Pipeline Vandalism (NATCOM) made the call on Sunday.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Adegbenro said the bill which had passed all legislative processes in the National Assembly, when assented to, would give legal backing to the activities of the commission.
The acting director-general said the commission was in tandem with the ECOWAS Commission aimed at battling illegal arms, ammunition, small arms and chemical weapon importation.
“We are suffering insecurity in Nigeria as a result of the illegal importation of arms and ammunition which we, in collaboration with other states, try to minimize or eradicate it.
“We want the new government and the incoming 10th National Assembly to embrace us and give us all the necessary backing.
“We want our president to give assent to the establishment bill to give us legal backing; a lot of people looking for employment are just waiting for us to take off,” he said.
Following his assumption of office, Adegbenro said he was committed to the mandate of the commission.
According to him, the commission intends to employ no fewer than 7000 youths within the first 100 days in each state when the bill is signed into law.
The acting director-general said the commission would work with state governors and traditional leaders to get to the ward level to stern proliferation of arms.
“We will go from the top down to everyone, even the fishermen, to comply with the ECOWAS treaty of 2006 to which Nigeria is a signatory.
“We will make sure that in the next 100 days, there will be a lot of seizures from importers, from sellers and from hoarders.
“We will track ammunition via the backcode to the manufacturers, then to the shipping agents until the cartel are apprehended,” he said.
Mr Fidel Agabaidu, Secretary-General of the Council of State Directors and Commandants, said the council resolved and passed a vote of no confidence on the former Director-General, Dr Baba Mohammed for alleged administrative malfeasance.
He said that the council also resolved and rectified the appointment of Adegbenro as acting director-general of the commission.
He said that a resolution was also reached to move the commission’s headquarter located at No. 13, Lord Lugard street to Westbrook Hotel, beside Unity House, Area 11, Abuja.
Agabaidu urged all Nigerians to direct all communication and official businesses to the new address for prompt response.