The North-East Zonal Office of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) has pledged to deepen collaboration with the Nigerian Army’s 7 Division to tackle the growing proliferation of illicit arms and light weapons in the region.

Zonal Director Maj. Gen. Abubakar Adamu (retd) made the announcement during a courtesy visit to Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division and Commander of Sector 1 Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Brig. Gen. Ugochukwu Unachukwu, at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri on August 26, 2025.

“Effective collaboration and synergy will go a long way in addressing the security dynamics of counter-insurgency operations in the region,” Gen. Adamu said, stressing that closer ties between the two institutions would strengthen efforts to curb the flow of illegal arms across the North-East and the Sahel.

He noted that the NCCSALW, under the Office of the National Security Adviser, had recently been empowered to destroy obsolete arms and prosecute gunrunners and traffickers.

Gen. Adamu commended the 7 Division for its ongoing role in stabilising the region and stressed the importance of raising awareness of the NCCSALW’s mandate among troops and other stakeholders.

In response, Brig. Gen. Unachukwu congratulated Gen. Adamu on his appointment and reaffirmed the Division’s commitment to supporting the Centre’s mission. He described arms proliferation as a major driver of insecurity in the North-East, asserting that insurgency, terrorism, and armed violence required innovative and collaborative solutions.

The visit included strategic discussions on inter-agency cooperation, the signing of the visitor’s book, the exchange of souvenirs, and a group photograph to formalise the partnership.