The Federal Government on Thursday destroyed a total of 3,867 illegal firearms as part of efforts to combat insecurity, terrorism, and the proliferation of small arms across the country.
The weapons were destroyed during an official exercise held at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Giri, Abuja, and conducted by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
This marks the fourth destruction exercise by the Centre since its establishment in 2021.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NCCSALW, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police Johnson Kokumo, said the firearms destroyed included a mix of captured, recovered, and voluntarily surrendered weapons.
“The 3,867 firearms destroyed today consist of various types and calibres, including those seized from criminals, recovered during operations, or surrendered under government disarmament programmes,” he said.
He also disclosed that additional arms intercepted at strategic entry points, such as the Onne Port and NAHCO warehouse at Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos, were undergoing legal processes and would be destroyed in subsequent exercises.
“These categories of weapons will be destroyed upon completion of investigations and legal proceedings,” Kokumo added.
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Also speaking at the event, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, represented by his Special Adviser on Governance and Subnational Liaison, Asishana Okauru, described the control of small arms and light weapons as central to the Federal Government’s national security strategy.
“The unchecked availability of illicit weapons continues to fuel violent conflict, terrorism, banditry, and other criminal activities across Nigeria,” Ribadu said.
He said the recently signed Small Arms and Light Weapons Act 2024 by President Bola Tinubu further strengthens the government’s commitment to regulating arms possession and curbing insecurity.
“The destruction of these weapons sends a clear signal of the government’s resolve to clean up the security space,” he added. “It is also a call on citizens to cooperate with authorities by providing intelligence and supporting disarmament efforts.”
Thursday’s exercise forms part of the Federal Government’s broader counter-terrorism and disarmament strategy aimed at restoring peace and security across the country.