Arms proliferation worsening insecurity in South-East

Despite recoveries made by security agencies, this menace has continued to elicit worries among agitated residents, just as stakeholders are calling for swift action to stem the tide, LAWRENCE NJOKU reports.

In Imo State, a total of 48 different firearms and 552 rounds of live ammunition were recovered in the course of operations in March and April this year. In one of the recoveries made in March this year, a bag containing two thousand rounds of live ammunition was recovered from a criminal hideout in the state.

The Executive Director of Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre , Okechukwu Nwanguma, told The Guardian that even though there may not be any credible information or current statistics on the number of locally fabricated guns in circulation in the South-East, the rising level of crime is an indication of the number of illegal arms in circulation.

When they swooped on an illegal weapon factory in Okija, Anambra State, late last year, the Joint Security Taskforce had made several recoveries of locally manufactured guns waiting to be claimed by their owners. The operator of the factory had, however, escaped abandoning his wares. Although he could not in specific terms state the number of weapons so far recovered from the region, he however, added: “ If I tell you the number of recoveries that we have made in the region through the support of security agencies, it will shock you.

A security consultant, Dr Reginald Isiguzo, told The Guardian that the increasing wave of agitations, activities of unknown gunmen, local manufacturers who fabricate equipment; inability to maintain reliable data on locations of the manufacturers, and weak regulations were encouraging the proliferation of arms in the region.

According to him, “Most of these gun handlers are non-state actors, who either have been in the employ of some form of security outfits, hunters or vigilante groups.

Also speaking, a rights advocate, Jonathan Okoro, pointed out that growing cult activities in the region have contributed to the spread of illegal arms, stressing that states such as Anambra and Imo are prone to rival cult clashes. “If you go to Imo state, there are communities that are still under siege and controlled by non-state actors. There are places where the people have carried their destiny in their hands. Situations of this nature make it difficult to control and check the spread of arms and ammunition,” he said

Firearm Control Act 2004 Insecurity South East

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