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The Presidential  Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons, PRESCOM, stakeholders’ sensitization forum, held at Enugu for South East zone, has revealed that about 60 per cent of the illegal arms in the zone are produced locally. Professor Aloysius Okolie, who is the South East coordinator on House Survey, of PRESCOM,   made the revelation during a two-day stakeholders’ sensitization forum on the comprehensive national Small Arms and Light Weapons, SALW,  survey in Nigeria, at Villa Toscana Hotel, Enugu.

He said that  60 per cent are fabricated locally in Nigeria and “some communities are known for their natural fabrication of arms,” adding that politicians were part of  arms proliferation in the area and most of the political leaders helped in the importation and fabrication of arms. The sensitization forum tagged, ‘All Hands on Deck,’ also revealed that “40 per cent of the arms are imported by the political leaders and the rest 60 per cent fabricated within the zone.”According to him: “The essence of the survey is not for the government to embark on   disarmament,  but to find out those factors that motivate people into acquiring such arms and sources of the arms.”
Earlier, the PRESCOM coordinator, Mr. Dickson Orji, stated that the essence of the forum was to give room for information and interaction on how to curtail proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country. “It will create awareness on the socio-economic impact of illicit small arms and light weapons proliferation in Nigeria and sensitize the Nigerian populace on the proposed comprehensive SALW survey in Nigeria. The forum will galvanize support for the survey team and enumerators to ensure collaboration at the grass roots for the success of the project,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Police command said yesterday that no supporter of the Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu was detained, contrary to a newspaper report on the matter. Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, for the command, Mr. Ali Okechukwu said the 17 persons, made up of 13 females and four males, who were among those protesting on the said date, were cautioned and asked to go home by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hosea Karma.
He denied a newspaper report that the police shot four members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, describing such report as mischief making. He said: “It is evident that on Tuesday, 20th October, 2015, some misguided youths took to the Federal High Way, the Onitsha/Enugu expressway, harassing people and blocking the high way, causing heavy traffic jam and the attendant hardship to the innocent and unsuspecting citizens and commuters.
“On the receipt of the development from well- meaning people of the state, the police command, oblivious of what and who were behind the sudden convergence of the crowd on the high way, dispatched police men to the scene. The police dispersed them and eased up traffic. Only few of the hesitant were arrested, cautioned and released immediately the same day”, he said.