The Federal Government has destroyed 2,819 illicit, obsolete and decommissioned small arms and light weapons, declaring that every illegal firearm recovered from criminals will be permanently removed from circulation as part of a renewed crackdown on arms trafficking and violent crime.
The destruction exercise, carried out on Thursday at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Giri, Abuja, was organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). It increased the total number of illegal weapons destroyed by the Centre since its establishment to about 19,000.
Speaking during the exercise, the Director-General of the NCCSALW, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Johnson Kokumo, described the exercise as a transparent, deliberate and irreversible step aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security.
He explained that the destroyed weapons were either illegally acquired, obsolete, decommissioned or no longer serviceable, stressing that every firearm destroyed was one less weapon available for terrorists, kidnappers, bandits, armed robbers and other criminal groups.
Kokumo disclosed that the Centre has recovered more than 21,000 illicit, obsolete and unserviceable weapons since its establishment, with over 16,000 destroyed before the latest exercise. According to him, the destruction of another 2,819 firearms has pushed the cumulative figure to about 19,000 permanently removed from circulation.
He identified the proliferation of illegal small arms as one of the biggest threats to national security, linking it to terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, farmer-herder conflicts and other violent crimes across the country.
The NCCSALW boss commended the Nigeria Police Force for contributing the highest number of recovered firearms destroyed under the programme, revealing that the police released 11,907 automatic and locally fabricated weapons recovered during operations nationwide. He also praised the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies for supporting the initiative by releasing seized weapons for destruction.
Issuing a stern warning to arms traffickers and illegal manufacturers, Kokumo said every illicit weapon in circulation would eventually be traced, recovered and 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, said the destruction exercise reflects the Federal Government’s determination to dismantle illegal arms networks through intelligence-led operations, stronger inter-agency collaboration, enhanced border security and improved law enforcement.
He described the destruction of the recovered weapons as a major milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to reduce insecurity, noting that every firearm removed from circulation represents another threat eliminated from society.
Ribadu stressed that simply recovering weapons is not enough, warning that poorly secured firearms could find their way back into criminal hands through theft, negligence or compromise. He said public, transparent and verifiable destruction remains the most effective way to ensure seized weapons can never again be used against innocent Nigerians.
The National Security Adviser also appealed to Nigerians to support security agencies by reporting the illegal possession, manufacture, movement and trafficking of arms. He urged traditional rulers, religious leaders and community stakeholders to encourage peaceful coexistence and voluntary disarmament in their communities.
The latest destruction exercise comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to curb the spread of illegal weapons, which security authorities have identified as a major factor fueling terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime across the country. The NCCSALW, established under the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act, 2024, continues to coordinate national efforts to recover and permanently destroy illicit firearms as part of Nigeria’s broader security strategy.