From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Federal Government has intensified its campaign against the proliferation of illicit firearms with the destruction of 2,809 illegal, decommissioned and unserviceable small arms and light weapons recovered by security and law enforcement agencies, as the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, declared that no recovered weapon would ever return to the hands of criminals.
The destruction exercise, conducted by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) of the Office of the National Security Adviser, took place at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja, reaffirming the government’s resolve to deny criminal groups access to illegal firearms.
Represented by Dennis Otuaro, the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, , Ribadu described the exercise as a critical component of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to combat violent crime and strengthen national security.
He stressed that the proliferation of illicit arms remains one of the greatest threats to peace and stability in Nigeria, noting that terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes and other violent crimes continue to thrive because of the widespread circulation of illegal weapons.
According to the NSA, every weapon recovered by the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies represents a potential threat removed from society, while every firearm destroyed weakens the operational capacity of criminal networks.
“Every weapon recovered by the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, and every weapon permanently destroyed through exercises such as this, represents a threat eliminated from society”, Ribadu said.
He warned individuals and groups engaged in the illegal manufacture, trafficking and possession of firearms that the government would continue to recover and permanently destroy illicit weapons. “The exercise is a clear warning to those engaged in the illegal manufacture, trafficking and use of weapons. Every illicit firearm recovered will be destroyed, ensuring it never finds its way back into the hands of criminals”, he added.
The Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (Rtd), said the destruction exercise reflects the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to reducing the availability of illegal weapons and protecting lives across the country.
He noted that every firearm properly recovered, documented, decommissioned and destroyed translates into improved public safety and strengthens ongoing efforts to restore peace in communities affected by armed violence.
“Every recovered weapon that is properly registered, decommissioned and destroyed is one less weapon available to those who would do our people harm”, Kokumo stated.
He disclosed that since its establishment in 2021, the Centre has recovered and destroyed approximately 19,000 illicit and unserviceable weapons through coordinated operations involving the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies.
The NCCSALW, established in 2021 under the Office of the National Security Adviser, coordinates national efforts to recover illegal firearms, improve arms control and implement Nigeria’s regional and international commitments on small arms regulation.
