Collapsed Gadaffi regime, Ambazonia conflict fuel criminality in C’River -Ayade

From ANI BASSEY, Calabar

The Cross River State governor Professor Ben Ayade says the collapsed Gadaffi regime and the Ambazonia conflicts fuel criminalities in the state.

The governor made this known in Calabar during the flag off of the arms destruction excercise in the state.

The programme was organised by the European Union/ECOWAS, LITE Africa alongside the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PRESCOM).

Ayade asserted that “With the collapse of the Gadaffi regime, young men/women with him in Libya started migrating downwards from North Africa.

“As this persisted, the choice/option of the use of weapons to secure a means of livelihood became imperative to them.

“Different religions/ethnic colourations of these young men who became radicalized and militarized too different forms, names from Boko Haram to bandits to kidnappers  and so social habits  and people changed psychologically.

“This became accelerated with increased levels of poverty  and a lot of them migrated to the riverine areas.

“Cross River became a prime target and this became accelerated with the Ambazonia conflict.

“The 33 illegal routes into the state became a veritable source for the harvest of arms”, the governor said.

He commended the OP AKPAKWU for their drive to secure the state  expressed optimism that with the recovery and destruction of these arms the people of the state can now sleep in peace.

In his remarks, Joel Bisina of LITE-AFRICA  on behalf of the ECOWAS-EU said the the proliferation of arms have a devastating effect in Nigeria and the West Africa region.

She said the programme is aimed at addressing the peace and security challenges of West Africa.

“One cannot underestimate the dangers of illicit proliferation of small arms, light Weapons  and the negative impacts they have on peace and stability of our community.

“In Nigeria, the commercial transaction in small arms and light Weapons has been on the increase since the end of the civil war.

“LITE-AFRICA, PRESCOM with the support of EU/ECOWAS is working to strengthen efforts at preventing proliferation and trafficking of small arms and light Weapons in Nigeria”, he said.

About 260 arms and 5510 ammunition were recovered and scheduled to be destroyed as part of the programme.

The Nigerian component of ECOWAS-EU under the current pilot phase focuses on seven states of Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara  in the North West region  while the South-South has Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.

As part of the programme, about 150 repentant militants from the state will benefit from the Alternative Livelihood Project of the Programme.

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