The president of Nigeria Shooting Sport Federation (NSSF), Commodore Shettima Sagir Mohammed has admitted that insecurity in the country is causing a lot of hindrances to the board’s efforts at developing the discipline.
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Sports247 reports that Commodore Shettima gave details of the negative effects of insecurity on shooting sport when he led a high-level delegation of NSSF’s board members on visits to top military officials in Abuja.
NSSF’s head of media and communications, Eche Amos disclosed that the visits were to the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, as well as the director-general of National Centre for Control of Small Arms, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo.
Amos disclosed that the visits were aimed at fostering synergy and avenues for collaboration in furthering the NSSF’s objectives to enhance marksmanship skills, promote responsible gun ownership and contributing to a safer society.
“We have participated and still participating in national and international shooting sport activities. We train in shooting competitions, and we have won series of medals in the sport, including at the Olympics.
“However, due to the pockets of security situation in the country, shooting sport hasn’t been getting its rightful place as a section of the society misinterprets what we do,” Shettima disclosed.
He then disclosed how the NSSF’s board has painstakingly tried to educate people in the sporting world and general public that shooting sport is a harmless endeavour that does not involve the use of harmful weapons.
Shettima added, “We are working assiduously to harmonise shooting and hunting under one edifice; to help government account for all arms that are not in the possession of military or para-military personnel.
“The country’s constitution permits ownership of certain small arms like the double-barreled and pump action guns for gaming and recreational purposes, and air rifle and air pistol, which are basically for shooting sport activities.
“These may not be lethal weapons, but when applied with deliberate intentions, can be lethal. For us in shooting, we use some of these weapons for sport, and ensure that one accounts for every weapon.”
The NSSF’s supremo concluded by expressing hope that the high-powered visits embarked upon by the board members would help in bringing about better understanding of the rudiments of shooting sport.
“We also import weapons for sport activities through legitimate processes, and we hope that this synergy between our organisation and yours will make it easier to trace and control weapons’ circulation.
“Already, we are deep in discussion with military and para-military agencies to ensure that all arms-bearing individuals should be registered members of NSSF, which gives such individuals institutional identity.
“This means a weapon in your possession which is approved by the government of Nigeria would be registered to your name and, in the event that something negative happens, it tracks them to the organization they are registered with.
“This method simplifies the purposes of usage of the legitimate weapons at our disposition, in line with global best practices,” said Shettima, who added that the visits will be extended to other related offices.
Sports247 gathered further that the NSSF, which was formerly known as Nigeria Shooting Association when it was founded in 1976, is affiliated to African Shooting Sport Federation (ASSF) and International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).
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