The Federal Government has destroyed 2,809 illicit arms in Abuja, raising the total number of permanently destroyed weapons to about 19,000 as authorities intensify efforts to curb illegal arms proliferation and strengthen national security.
The Federal Government has destroyed 2,809 illicit, decommissioned and unserviceable small arms and light weapons, reaffirming its commitment to tackling the proliferation of illegal weapons fueling insecurity across Nigeria.
The destruction exercise, conducted on Thursday by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in Abuja, increased the total number of weapons permanently destroyed by the centre to about 19,000.
Speaking at the event, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, said the exercise underscored the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability and national security. Ribadu was represented by the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr. Dennis Otuaro.
According to the NSA, terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts and other violent crimes continue to thrive due to the widespread availability of illicit arms.
“Every weapon recovered and permanently destroyed represents a threat eliminated from society,” Ribadu said.
He stressed that recovering illegal weapons alone was insufficient, noting that public, transparent and verifiable destruction ensures such weapons can never again be used against Nigerians.
Ribadu added that, with the support of President Bola Tinubu, his office has implemented an intelligence-led national security strategy focused on stronger inter-agency collaboration, disrupting criminal financing networks, enhancing border security and strengthening international partnerships.
He said the strategy has produced measurable progress by degrading terrorist capabilities and reinforcing Nigeria’s security architecture.
The NSA urged Nigerians to support security agencies by reporting the illegal possession, manufacture, trafficking and movement of arms. He also encouraged traditional and religious leaders to promote peace, dialogue and voluntary disarmament within their communities.
Earlier, the Director-General of NCCSALW, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police Johnson Kokumo, described the destruction exercise as a deliberate, transparent and irreversible step towards improving national security.
Kokumo said the destroyed weapons were either illegally acquired or had become obsolete, decommissioned and unserviceable.
He noted that the proliferation of illicit small arms remains a major driver of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and other security challenges across the country.
According to him, more than 21,000 illicit, obsolete and unserviceable weapons have been recovered since the establishment of the centre. Before Thursday’s exercise, over 16,000 weapons had already been destroyed, with the latest exercise bringing the cumulative total to about 19,000.
Kokumo commended the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies for their collaboration in recovering and releasing illicit weapons for destruction.
He said the exercise sends a clear message to arms traffickers that all recovered illegal weapons will be permanently destroyed rather than returned to circulation.
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