The Federal Government has destroyed 2,819 illicit, decommissioned and unserviceable small arms and light weapons as part of efforts to reduce the circulation of illegal firearms across Nigeria.
The destruction exercise was conducted on Thursday, July 30, 2026, by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Abuja.
According to the government, the latest operation raised the total number of weapons permanently destroyed by the centre to approximately 19,000.
Government Reaffirms Commitment to National Security
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu said the public destruction of the weapons demonstrated the government’s commitment to accountability, transparency and national security.
Ribadu was represented at the event by the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dennis Otuaro.
The national security adviser said the widespread circulation of illicit weapons continued to support terrorism, insurgency, kidnapping, banditry, communal violence and other serious crimes.
He explained that every illegal weapon recovered and destroyed represented a potential danger permanently removed from Nigerian communities.
Ribadu stressed that recovering illegal firearms was not sufficient unless authorities ensured that the weapons could never return to circulation.
He said conducting the destruction exercise publicly and transparently provided assurance that the recovered arms would not be used again against Nigerians.
Intelligence-Led Security Strategy
Ribadu said the Office of the National Security Adviser, with the support of President Bola Tinubu, had adopted an intelligence-driven approach to tackling insecurity.
He said the strategy focused on improving cooperation among security agencies, disrupting criminal financing, strengthening border protection and expanding international security partnerships.
According to him, the measures had produced measurable results by weakening terrorist groups and improving Nigeria’s overall security system.
The NSA called on members of the public to assist security agencies by reporting the illegal possession, production, trafficking and movement of weapons.
He also urged traditional rulers and religious leaders to promote dialogue, peaceful coexistence and voluntary disarmament in their communities.
NCCSALW Explains Weapons Destruction
Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police Johnson Kokumo, described the exercise as an irreversible step towards improving public safety.
Kokumo said the weapons destroyed were either illegally obtained or had been declared obsolete, decommissioned and unserviceable.
He identified the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons as a major factor behind terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflict and other forms of violent crime in Nigeria.
According to him, more than 21,000 illegal, obsolete and unusable weapons have been recovered since the centre was established.
He said more than 16,000 weapons had previously been destroyed, while the latest batch brought the cumulative figure to about 19,000.
Security Agencies Commended
Kokumo praised the Nigeria Police Force, Armed Forces of Nigeria, Department of State Services and Nigeria Customs Service for supporting the recovery and transfer of weapons for destruction.
He also recognised the contributions of other security and law-enforcement agencies involved in efforts to control the spread of illegal arms.
The NCCSALW director-general said the exercise sent a clear warning to arms traffickers that weapons recovered by security agencies would be permanently removed from circulation.
The Federal Government maintained that reducing the availability of illegal firearms remained essential to combating organised crime and improving security across the country.
