Former Head of State, General Abdusalami Abubakar has lamented that there are no fewer than six million illegal weapons in circulation in Nigeria.
He said this at a dialogue session organised by the National Peace Committee, he co-chaired with the Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to him, the proliferation of weapons has heightened insecurity in the country and led to over 80,000 deaths and close to three million Internally Displaced Persons.
Abdulsalami said the challenges facing Nigeria was a security issue that had assumed an all-encompassing dimension.
Among the security challenges identified by him included Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, increasing poverty and calls for balkanization of the country.
Abdulsalami said, “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. This certainly exacerbated the insecurity that led to over 80,000 deaths and close to 3 million internally displaced persons”.
The ex-military Head of State also said the security forces were not just over stretched but underfunded.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, called on Nigerians to close ranks and work for humanity.
According to him, an Igbo man was the closest person to his father and was entering any part of the palace. He died in the palace at 112 years.
Sultan Abubakar said as individuals, Nigerians should add value to themselves “and know that we did not create ourselves.”
Other guests were a former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd, who attended and spoke virtually); Ekiti State governor and chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Kayode Fayemi; Plateau State governor and chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Simon Lalong.
Gowon urged all Nigerians, irrespective of religious and political differences, “to see the nation’s challenges, including insecurity, as one that must be tackled and resolved collectively.”
