The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to curb the spread of illegal weapons by destroying 2,819 illicit and decommissioned small arms and light weapons in Abuja, a move authorities say is aimed at reducing the firepower available to criminal groups across the country. The destruction exercise, carried out on Thursday at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Giri, increased the total number of recovered weapons permanently taken out of circulation to about 19,000.
The exercise was organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons as part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to tackle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes linked to the proliferation of illicit firearms. Officials said the weapons were either illegally acquired or had been decommissioned and rendered unserviceable before being destroyed through a transparent process of burning and smelting.
Director-General of the centre, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police Johnson Kokumo, described the exercise as a practical security measure rather than a symbolic event. According to him, every firearm destroyed represents one less weapon that could be used to attack communities, arm criminal groups, disrupt economic activities or threaten innocent Nigerians.
Kokumo disclosed that more than 21,000 illicit, obsolete and unserviceable weapons have been recovered since the agency was established, with about 19,000 now permanently destroyed. He credited the achievement to sustained collaboration among security agencies, noting that the Nigeria Police Force contributed the largest number of recovered firearms, while the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies also released seized weapons for destruction.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, represented at the event by the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, said permanently destroying recovered weapons is essential to preventing them from returning to criminal circulation. He warned that firearms kept in storage without proper accountability could be stolen, diverted or misused, making transparent destruction an important part of national security efforts.
Authorities also issued a strong warning to individuals involved in the illegal manufacture, trafficking and possession of firearms. Kokumo and Ribadu said intelligence-driven operations would continue to target arms networks, stressing that every illicit weapon recovered would eventually be traced, confiscated and destroyed. They also appealed to Nigerians, traditional rulers and religious leaders to support efforts to reduce the circulation of illegal arms by reporting suspicious activities and encouraging voluntary disarmament.
The latest destruction exercise comes as Nigeria continues to confront security threats driven by the widespread availability of illegal weapons. Officials say the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, established under the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act, 2024, will continue coordinating national efforts to ensure recovered firearms are permanently removed from circulation as part of a long-term strategy to improve public safety and national security.
