Nigeria destroys 2,809 illicit arms in crackdown on illegal weapons

Nigeria has destroyed 2,809 illicit, decommissioned, and unserviceable weapons, marking a significant step in the federal government's campaign against illegal firearms. The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), operating under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), conducted the destruction exercise at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Giri, Abuja.

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the spread of illicit arms remains a major driver of the country’s security challenges. He said terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes and other violent crimes continue to thrive because of the widespread availability of illegal firearms.

National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, represented by Dennis Otuaro, Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, emphasized that the spread of illicit arms is a primary driver of Nigeria's security challenges. He stated that terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, and other violent crimes are exacerbated by the widespread availability of illegal firearms. Ribadu noted that each weapon destroyed represents a removed threat to society and sends a clear message to those involved in illegal arms activities.

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every weapon recovered by the armed forces, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, and every weapon permanently destroyed through such exercises, represents a threat removed from society.

Johnson Kokumo, Director-General of the NCCSALW, highlighted the destruction exercise as critical to preventing recovered firearms from re-entering criminal networks. He revealed that the center has recovered and destroyed approximately 19,000 illicit weapons since its establishment in 2021. The NCCSALW coordinates national efforts to regulate, recover, and destroy illicit small arms and light weapons, collaborating with the military, police, and other security agencies to counter the growing threat of illegal firearms proliferation.

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the destruction exercise sends a strong message to individuals involved in the illegal manufacture, trafficking and use of firearms that recovered illicit weapons will be permanently destroyed to prevent them from returning to criminal networks.

The exercise underscores the government's commitment to curbing the flow of illegal weapons, which are instrumental in fueling the country's persistent security crises. By permanently destroying these arms, authorities aim to disrupt criminal supply chains and enhance public safety.

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the destruction of recovered firearms is a critical step in preventing them from being reused in criminal activities. According to him, every weapon that is properly recovered, registered, decommissioned and destroyed is one less weapon available to threaten the lives and safety of Nigerians.