Mutfwang Urges Tougher Action on Arms Proliferation, Vows to Strengthen Security in Plateau

Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has called for urgent and coordinated national action to tackle the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, describing it as one of the most dangerous threats to peace and national security.

Speaking on Monday while receiving the Zonal Director of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Abdul Adamu Eneche (rtd. Deputy Director General), at the New Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos, Governor Mutfwang warned that the unchecked flow of arms has emboldened criminal elements and exacerbated insecurity across Nigeria.

“Indeed, it is very worrisome that a large number of arms and ammunition have found their way into the hands of non-state actors,” the Governor lamented, citing Nigeria’s porous borders as a major contributor to the influx of illegal weapons.

According to Gyang Bere
Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor, the Governor revealed that over 40 AK-47 rifles had recently been intercepted and confiscated by security forces in Plateau State—a development he said underscores both the scale of the problem and the growing effectiveness of security operatives in the state.

Calling for intensified intelligence-led operations, the Governor urged the NCCSALW to focus on dismantling the networks facilitating the illegal arms trade, while distinguishing such efforts from legitimate self-defence measures.

“Let’s go after the real criminals,” he said. “We must activate and strengthen our intelligence networks to intercept these arms. Where necessary, we will invest in intelligence gathering.”

Governor Mutfwang also disclosed that all local government chairmen in the state have been directed to infiltrate and expose the criminal elements often glamorised as ‘bandits,’ but who, in his words, “are in truth dangerous criminals and murderers.”

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to working closely with federal agencies and other security stakeholders to maintain peace and protect lives and property across Plateau.

In his response, Zonal Director Eneche praised the Plateau State Government for its active support in combating illegal arms, describing the state as a critical partner in the national effort to stem the tide of weapons proliferation.

“It is on this premise that the Federal Government established the Centre to stem the tide of small arms and light weapons,” Eneche said, pledging continued partnership with the state in intelligence gathering, community sensitisation, and enforcement operations.

They resolved to strengthen collaboration between the state government and NCCSALW in securing Plateau and contributing to national stability.