http://allafrica.com/stories/200201220395.html This Day (Lagos) January 22, 2002 Posted to the web January 22, 2002 Nigeria has been rated highest in the implementation of the moratorium on the import, export and manufacture of small arms, among ECOWAS member countries and was to serve as a model. A source in the Ministry of Co-operation and Integration in Africa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja at the weekend that the feat was achieved within six months of the inauguration of a national committee on the implementation of the moratorium. "Within six months of the inauguration of the committee, Nigeria was able to achieve tangible results by detecting and destroying illicit arms," the source said. In July 2001, 1,581 of assorted calibre of illegal arms and 510 different types of ammunition were confiscated and destroyed at a ceremony watched by the Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma. The moratorium on the import, export and manufacture of light weapons was signed by heads of state and governments of ECOWAS member states on October 31, 1998 to create a framework within which a secured environment for socio-economic development could be obtained. The ECOWAS leaders were concerned that the growing number, intensity and duration of conflicts in Africa were both the cause and the result of the easy availability of arms that had posed a major threat to development, political and economic stability, civil liberties and human lives. The source told NAN that so far only seven of the 15 member sub-regional body had established national committees on the implementation of the moratorium and that others needed to strengthen their legislation to achieve better results. "We are concerned with how best to establish a culture of peace and to achieve the objective, we have elected to enter into dialogue with the manufacturers as well as suppliers of small arms," the source said. The source explained that any organisation or body other than the armed forces and Police of member states wishing to import small arms have to submit their applications to ECOWAS through the ministry of Co-operation and Integration in Africa, which monitors the importation of such arms.