The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nuruddeen Muhammad has blamed the current security challenges across the country on porous border which had led to the proliferation of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs).
The Minister made this observation during a one day sensitization programme on ‘Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons Proliferation, Insecurity and Integration in West Africa’ held in Minna, the capital of Niger state.
Dr. Mohammed while lamenting the huge amount of small arms in the hands of the wrong persons, noted that the trend has not only resulted to loss of innocent lives and properties but has impeded the economic development of the country.
He stated that the consequences of the ‘ugly development’ is an increase in the number of internally displaced persons in the north, a situation he claimed has increased the cost of governance.
Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger state, noted there is an urgent need to control the activities of local blacksmiths in the region as most of them fabricate firearms at a cheap rate thus available to everybody.
