FG Destroys 2,819 Illicit Weapons, Warns Arms Traffickers of Relentless Crackdown
The Federal Government on Thursday destroyed 2,819 illicit and decommissioned small arms and light weapons in Abuja, bringing the total number of illegal firearms permanently removed from circulation since the establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) to about 19,000.
The destruction exercise, held at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja, underscores the government’s intensified efforts to curb the proliferation of illicit weapons that continue to fuel terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes across the country.
Speaking during the exercise, the Director-General of the NCCSALW, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police Johnson Kokumo, described the destruction of the recovered weapons as a deliberate, transparent and irreversible national security measure.
He said the 2,819 weapons destroyed were either illegally acquired or had been decommissioned and rendered unserviceable, stressing that their destruction ensured they could never again be used to threaten lives or aid criminal activities.
“Every weapon destroyed today is one that can no longer be used to terrorise communities, attack travellers, disrupt economic activities or arm criminal and terrorist groups,” Kokumo said.
According to him, the Centre has recovered more than 21,000 illicit, obsolete and unserviceable weapons since its inception. Before Thursday’s exercise, over 16,000 had already been destroyed, with the latest exercise increasing the cumulative figure to about 19,000.
He described the achievement as a major milestone that reflects years of sustained collaboration among security and law enforcement agencies.
Kokumo identified the proliferation of illicit small arms as one of the principal drivers of insecurity in Nigeria, linking it to insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts, farmer-herder clashes and armed robbery.
He noted that the arms destruction programme complements the Federal Government’s broader security strategy, which includes military operations, intelligence gathering, strengthened border security, community policing and socio-economic interventions in conflict-affected communities.
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The NCCSALW boss commended the Nigeria Police Force for contributing the largest number of recovered weapons destroyed under the programme, disclosing that the police released 11,907 automatic and locally fabricated firearms recovered during operations across the country.
He also acknowledged the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies for their continued support in releasing recovered weapons for destruction.
Issuing a stern warning to arms traffickers and illegal manufacturers, Kokumo declared that every illicit weapon in circulation would eventually be recovered and permanently destroyed.
“The weapons you traffic today will, in time, be found and destroyed, never to return to circulation,” he warned.
Representing the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, at the event, the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to dismantling illegal arms networks through intelligence-led operations and enhanced inter-agency collaboration.
He described the destruction of the recovered weapons as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen national security and reduce the availability of illegal firearms.
According to him, every recovered and destroyed weapon represents a threat eliminated from society and a step towards a safer nation.
Ribadu noted that merely recovering illicit weapons was insufficient, warning that firearms kept in storage without adequate accountability could find their way back into criminal circulation through theft, negligence or compromise.
He said transparent and verifiable destruction remained the most effective way to ensure seized weapons could never again be used against innocent Nigerians.
The National Security Adviser also called on citizens to support ongoing efforts by reporting illegal possession, manufacture and trafficking of arms while urging traditional and religious leaders to encourage peacebuilding and voluntary disarmament.
He reiterated the government’s resolve to ensure that every illicit weapon recovered would ultimately be destroyed.
The NCCSALW, established under the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act, 2024, coordinates Nigeria’s efforts to combat the proliferation of illicit firearms and ensure that recovered weapons are permanently removed from circulation as part of the country’s broader strategy to address insecurity.
By PRNigeria
