Bauchi Police Command has said that over 15, 000 lives were lost due to activities of insurgents, violent political/communal clashes, armed banditry and assassination in Nigeria between 2009 to date.
The State Assistant Commissioner of Police, Anthony Okpara said at the just concluded stakeholders’ sensitization forum on SALWs in Bauchi that damages caused by warfare are essential reasons why arms became imperative.
Okpara explained that a paradigm shift in controlling and regulating arms proliferation will go a long way in restoring social order and enhancing a smooth electoral process in next month general elections through good governance, justice and equity before the law.
The Bauchi Assistant Police Commissioner in a paper to the occasion gave measures to be taken to reduce arms proliferation as good governance, disarmament, arms treaties, inter agency collaboration, and intelligence gathering.
Others are respect for human right, adherence to the rule of law, effective and efficient border patrol, strict immigration policy against aliens and illegal foreigners, and transparency and accountability, among others.
Mr. Anthony Okpara explained that the dangers posed by small arms and light weapons cannot be over-emphasized especially now that the nation is facing so many security challenges, stressing that SALWs pose great threat to security of lives.
He noted that most of violence perpetrated in African countries such as Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Burundi, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, among others, are carried out by small arms and light weapons.
Okpara also blamed politicians for arming youths to intimidate political opponents and disrupt political activities, citing example with aftermath of 2011 election when seven youth corpers, two police officers lost their lives and property worth million of naira destroyed in Bauchi.
