Federal Government on Thursday set ablaze no fewer than 2,819 illicit and decommissioned small arms and light weapons.
The illicit weapons were destroyed as part of the government efforts to remove illegal arms from circulation.
This is just as the government announced that it would launch a manhunt against arms traffickers, insisting that every weapon in their possession would be traced and destroyed.
The destruction exercise, which was organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT.
The latest destruction of small arms and light weapons brought the total number of illegal weapons permanently removed from circulation to about 19,000.
The destruction exercise came amid Nigeria’s battle against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime, with security experts identifying the proliferation of illicit small arms as a major factor fueling insecurity.
Checks showed that the NCCSALW was established under the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act, 2024, to coordinate efforts to curb the illegal flow of weapons and ensure recovered arms are permanently removed from circulation.
Speaking during the destruction exercise, the Director-General of the NCCSALW, Johnson Kokumo, described it as “a deliberate, verifiable and irreversible” act of national security.
Kokumo, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, explained that the exercise formed part of the government’s efforts to curb the proliferation of illicit weapons fueling terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the country.
He said, “We are gathered here today to witness the destruction, by burning and subsequent smelting, of approximately 2,819 small arms and light weapons.
“These are weapons that were illicitly acquired, or have since been decommissioned and rendered unserviceable, and which now stand permanently removed from circulation in our society.”
According to him, the Centre had recovered over 21,000 illicit, obsolete and unserviceable weapons since its establishment and had destroyed more than 16,000 before Thursday’s exercise.
He stressed that the exercise was more than a symbolic event.
“Every weapon that goes into these flames today is a weapon that can never again be used to threaten a community, disrupt a market, waylay a traveller, or arm a criminal or terrorist enterprise.
“With today’s exercise, that cumulative figure rises to about 19,000 weapons permanently taken out of circulation. This is a milestone we should all take pride in, and one that reflects years of sustained, disciplined, inter-agency work,” he said.
Kokumo noted that the proliferation of illicit small arms remained one of the biggest drivers of insecurity in Nigeria, linking it to banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, farmer-herder conflicts, armed robbery and other violent crimes.
He said the arms destruction programme complemented the Federal Government’s broader security strategy, which includes military and law enforcement operations, intelligence gathering, border security, community policing and socio-economic interventions in conflict-affected areas.
The NCCSALW boss also acknowledged the Nigeria Police Force for supplying the largest number of recovered weapons destroyed under the programme, disclosing that the police had contributed 11,907 automatic firearms and locally fabricated weapons seized during operations nationwide.
He also commended the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies for releasing recovered weapons for destruction.
Issuing a warning to illegal arms dealers, Kokumo declared, “To those who traffic in illicit arms: the weapons you move will, in time, be found, and they will be destroyed, never to return to circulation.”
He added that the transparent destruction exercise demonstrated the government’s commitment to accountability in handling recovered weapons.
On his part, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, noted that the government remained committed to dismantling illegal arms networks through intelligence-driven operations and improved coordination among security agencies.
Ribadu, who was represented by the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dennis Otuaro, described the destruction of the weapons as “a remarkable achievement” that reflected sustained institutional commitment to national security.
“Today’s destruction of approximately 2,809 illicit, decommissioned and unserviceable small arms and light weapons, bringing the cumulative number of weapons destroyed since the Centre’s establishment to about 19,000, is a remarkable achievement.
“It reflects sustained institutional commitment and deserves the recognition of every Nigerian who desires a safer and more secure nation,” he said.
He noted that illegal weapons remained the lifeblood of terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and communal violence across the country.
“Every weapon recovered by our gallant Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, and every weapon permanently destroyed through exercises such as this, represents a threat eliminated from our society,” he stated.
Ribadu emphasised that recovering weapons alone was insufficient, warning that arms kept in storage without proper accountability could return to criminal circulation.
“Arms that are seized but poorly tracked, improperly stored or inadequately accounted for can find their way back into circulation through theft, negligence or compromise.
“Public, transparent and verifiable destruction, such as we are witnessing today, permanently closes that possibility. It guarantees that these recovered weapons can never again be used against any Nigerian,” he added.
Calling for greater public participation, Ribadu urged Nigerians to report the illegal possession, manufacture and trafficking of arms while encouraging traditional and religious leaders to promote peace and voluntary disarmament.
He also sent a stern warning to arms traffickers and manufacturers.
“To those who remain engaged in the illegal manufacture, trafficking or use of weapons, let today’s exercise serve as a clear message: every illicit weapon recovered will ultimately end where these weapons are ending today—in the fire, never to return to our streets,” he said.
