FG Destroys 2,819 Illicit Weapons, Warns Arms Traffickers

The Federal Government has destroyed 2,819 illicit and decommissioned small arms and light weapons recovered from across the country.

The exercise was carried out in Abuja on Thursday by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, NCCSALW, as part of efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal weapons and strengthen national security.

The weapons were destroyed through burning and subsequent smelting at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri.

Speaking during the exercise, the Director General of the NCCSALW, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police Johnson Kokumo, said the destruction represented a deliberate and irreversible step towards removing dangerous weapons from criminal circulation.

Kokumo disclosed that the centre had recovered more than 21,000 illicit, obsolete and unserviceable weapons since its establishment, with the latest exercise bringing the number of weapons permanently destroyed to about 19,000.

He said the proliferation of illegal small arms was a major factor contributing to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, armed robbery and other violent crimes in Nigeria.

The NCCSALW boss commended security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force, for their contribution to the recovery of weapons.

He disclosed that the police accounted for 11,907 automatic firearms and locally fabricated weapons seized during various operations nationwide.

Kokumo also warned illegal arms dealers and manufacturers that security agencies would continue to trace illicit weapons and ensure their permanent destruction.

Representing the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, described the exercise as a significant achievement in the Federal Government’s efforts to combat insecurity.

Otuaro stressed that recovering illegal weapons was not enough, noting that proper tracking, storage and eventual destruction were necessary to prevent seized arms from finding their way back into criminal hands.

He urged Nigerians to report the illegal manufacture, possession and trafficking of weapons and called on traditional and religious leaders to support peacebuilding and voluntary disarmament initiatives.

The government said the destruction exercise was part of broader efforts involving intelligence gathering, military and police operations, border security and inter agency cooperation to tackle violent crime across the country.