Gbolahan Salman Sokoto
The General Officer Command 8 Division Sokoto, Maj General Uwem Bassey said the command has recovered 706 small Arms and light weapons from the bandits and criminal elements within area of operation of Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi State.
Bassey, who is also the Force Commander Operation Hadarin Daji stated this on Monday during a press briefing at parade ground 26 battalion Giginya cantonment , Sokoto while handing over the small Arms and light weapons to the zonal coordinator , North West National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) .
He explained that the operational successes recorded by troops of operation Hadarin Daji from 2018 to May , 2022 led to the recovery of 706 small Arms and light weapons from suspected bandits and other criminal elements in the zone, especially in Zamfara state which he described as the epic centre of banditry
He gave the breakdown of the recoverd weapons to include 203 AK-47, 4 Automated fabricated rifles, 7 G3 rifles , 1 GPMG, 3 Sub machine gun .
Others are 1 light machine gun, 4 FN rifles , 410 Dane gun , 71 locally made pistols, 1 Rocket Propel Gronade RPG empty canister and 1 pump action.
He urges citizens to take security as a business of all and thanked those who provided credible information that led to the success of the arms recovery.
Receiving the weapons the zonal coordinator of Northwest National Centre for the Control of Small Arms Air Vice Marshal Haruna Umar Mohammed Retrd appreciated the troops and implored the general public to always give necessary information to mop out illegal firearms in the in hands of criminals.
He urged the troops to sustain the tempo inorder to decisively curtail the activities of criminal elements.
“I encourage the operation Hadarin Daji to step up the tide to ensure that we recover all firearms from the society knowing that we are moving forward election and we want everybody to be on same page he stated.
AVM Mohammed Retrd expressed optimism that more weapons would be recovered from the criminal elements as the general public and military will collaborate in the fight against possession of unlawful firearms .
It has been recalled that Federal Government of Nigeria is determined to stop the senseless bloodletting and insecurity occasioned by Small Arms & Light Weapons (SALW) in circulation within the communities by mopping up all illicit weapons; as well as control the proliferation of all weapons in the holdings of all arms bearing agencies/organizations in the country.
This according to AVM Mohammed encourage President Mohammadu Buhari approved the establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms & Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in May, 2021.
