Nigeria :: Destruction
Disarmament and destruction in Niger Delta, Nigeria
SaferAfrica was approached in October 2004 by Dr. Judith Burdin Asuni, Executive Director of the Academic Associates Peace Works (AAPW) in Nigeria. Dr Burdin Asuni urgently requested the assistance of SaferAfrica with the monitoring of a disarmament process in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Based on the agreed terms of reference, Sarel Buijs from SaferAfrica, and Jerry Kitiku from the Security Research and Information Centre (SRIC) in Kenya, were deployed to assist with and monitor the disarmament in the Niger Delta.The team arrived in Lagos on the 27th of October 2004, and flew to Port Harcourt on the 28th of October 2004. Various activities occurred in the period between their arrival in Port Harcourt, and the actual destruction on the 15th and 16th of November 2004, including the verification of the firearms handed in for destruction, consultations with key role players and affected communities, monitoring of the firearm destruction, and observation of the ceremonial destruction of the firearms which were handed in.
On Sunday 15 November 2004, the SaferAfrica/SRIC team visited the Bori Camp, and were present when the military started the firearm destruction process. Firearms were stripped, and the related components (including the sights, trigger mechanisms and other parts) were damaged by physically striking them with hammers. The firearms were then cut into two pieces. This process was completed on the morning of the 16th of November 2004, and all the dismantled firearms were placed in a hole next to the parade ground for the public destruction.
After the arrival of senior dignitaries from Abuja, the destruction process began with the previously destroyed firearms being set alight. After the ceremonial burning of the firearms, the military proceeded to take all the destroyed firearms to a nearby facility to further smelt the weapons down.
The firearms destroyed included the following:
| Type | Number of weapons destroyed |
AK-47 |
324 |
Model 59 Rachot light machine gun |
2 |
SA VZ 58P |
397 |
MG 63 (MG42) 7,62 |
1 |
G 3 7,62 |
22 |
FAL 7,62 |
3 |
Shotgun 12 gage |
19 |
375 Hunting rifle |
1 |
.22 Rifle |
5 |
Airgun |
1 |
Revolvers |
2 |
Pistols |
12 |
She model L 26 |
7 |
Sten MK II |
1 |
Homemade firearms |
16 |
Total |
845 |
For more information on the Niger Delta firearm destruction, refer to the SaferAfrica trip report by Sarel Buijs.
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