Cross River Govt Hands Over Militants’ Arms to NCCSALW

By BANNERNEWS Reporter
The Cross River State Government has handed over a cache of arms and ammunition surrendered by 80 repentant militants to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), South-South Zone, reinforcing its commitment to peace and security in the state.
The handover, which took place on Monday in Calabar, was executed through the Office of the State Security Adviser following the successful disarmament of militants who had operated within the creeks of Calabar and Akpabuyo Local Government Area.
Receiving the weapons, the Zonal Director of NCCSALW, South-South Zone, Dr. Alex Inemah Ebimiebo, commended the administration of Governor Bassey Edet Otu for prioritising security and supporting efforts to curb the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
Ebimiebo described the development as a tangible outcome of the state’s peace-building initiatives and strong collaboration among security agencies, noting that Cross River continues to stand out as one of the most peaceful states in the country.
He also praised the State Security Adviser, Major General Okoi Ubi Obono (rtd), for what he described as strategic leadership and effective coordination of the state’s security architecture, which has translated into sustained peace and stability.
The NCCSALW director stressed the need for continued synergy among security stakeholders to consolidate the gains already recorded and prevent a relapse into violence.
Ebimiebo disclosed that the Centre would immediately commence the statutory process for the destruction and disposal of the recovered weapons in line with national and international best practices.
He urged residents of the state to shun actions capable of undermining public peace, while reaffirming NCCSALW’s commitment to tackling the spread of illicit arms across Cross River State and the wider South-South zone.
The arms were earlier surrendered under Operation OKWOK at the Atimbo Rear Area during an exercise coordinated by the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in collaboration with the Cross River State Government.
The repentant militants, drawn from two camps, voluntarily embraced the state’s amnesty programme, laying down assorted rifles, guns, ammunition, explosives, speedboats and other military hardware, in what authorities described as a major boost to peace efforts.