Former Head Of State, Abdusalami Abubakar, has said proliferation of weapons is fuelling insecurity in the country.
Abubakar noted that there are over six million of such arms in possession of non-state actors and other criminals in Nigeria.
Abubakar, who is also the chairman of the National Peace Committee, stated this yesterday during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja.
Giving figures to buttress his point on the havoc proliferation of arms has caused in the country, the former head of state noted that 80, 000 people have been killed while around three million persons have been displaced.
“The proliferation of all calibre of weapons, not only in our sub-region in general and in Nigeria, in particular, is worrying. It is estimated that there are over six million of such weapons in circulation in the country,” he said.
“This certainly exacerbated the insecurity that led to over 80,000 deaths and close to three million internally displaced persons.”
Abubakar said stakeholders must come up with solutions to the rising insecurity, adding that citizens have to also be actively involved in suggesting measures to address the situation.
“We believe Nigeria must find a way out of these problems. Our hope is that perhaps among us, by listening to your different perspectives, we can begin to build up confidence among our people so that we can hold together,” he said.
“So, our hope is that we shall not only share our collective lamentations about the current situation, but propose some concrete suggestions that can point the way forward — suggestions that can inspire more confidence among our people and ensure that our country remains one.”
