The Federal Government has destroyed 1,419 illicit weapons and recovered 5,449 firearms in operations conducted across the country in 2026.
The Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), retired DIG Johnson Kokumo, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the Joint Security News Briefing.
The briefing brought together spokespersons of defence, security and law-enforcement agencies to update Nigerians on ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity.
Kokumo said the 1,419 weapons were publicly destroyed on July 30 during the Centre’s second-quarter arms destruction exercise in Abuja.
He said the latest exercise brought the total number of illicit weapons destroyed by the NCCSALW since 2022 to more than 19,000.
According to him, the destruction of the weapons was aimed at preventing illicit arms from falling into the hands of non-state actors and being used to fuel terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
The NCCSALW boss said the Centre had also recorded significant recoveries through collaboration with security and law-enforcement agencies.
He disclosed that 5,050 illicit, unserviceable, decommissioned and obsolete automatic weapons were retrieved from the Nigeria Police Force in June.
The Nigeria Customs Service, he added, intercepted and handed over another 399 JOJEF automatic guns to the Centre on August 17.
Kokumo said additional weapons had also been recovered from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the National Intelligence Agency.
He explained that the Centre was working with relevant justice-sector institutions to prosecute individuals involved in arms trafficking, illegal importation and illicit firearm manufacturing.
According to him, 11 suspects linked to the illegal importation of 844 assorted automatic firearms and 112,500 rounds of ammunition had been arrested.
The weapons and ammunition were concealed in a container intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service at Onne Port before being handed over to the NCCSALW.
Kokumo said the principal suspects remained in custody as investigations continued, with efforts ongoing to apprehend other suspects who were still at large.
The Director-General also disclosed that suspects linked to the illegal manufacture of firearms and ammunition in Minna, Niger State, had been arrested and prosecuted.
He said the Centre was equally strengthening weapons management across arms-bearing security agencies.
According to him, physical security and stockpile management training was conducted for personnel of relevant agencies between May 18 and June 19.
The training was designed to reduce the risk of legally held weapons being diverted into criminal circulation.
Kokumo further revealed that the NCCSALW had begun preparations for a new national small arms survey to replace the 2016 survey.
He said the previous survey no longer adequately reflected the current realities surrounding the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria.
As part of the process, the Centre held a baseline workshop on August 20 involving representatives of United Nations agencies, the Small Arms Survey, security agencies and other relevant government institutions.
He said the new survey would generate updated data to guide Nigeria’s response to the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons.
Kokumo also urged Nigerians to distinguish the Federal Government’s National Forest Guards initiative from the organisation known as the Nigeria Forest Security Service, which he described as illegal.
He said the National Forest Guards initiative was being coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser.
According to him, key members of the illegal group, including its leader, Joshua Osatimehin, had been arrested and were facing prosecution.
He added that a court order had directed the sealing of the group’s offices nationwide.
Kokumo reaffirmed the NCCSALW’s commitment to working with security agencies, international partners and other stakeholders to reduce the circulation of illicit weapons.
He called on Nigerians to support the campaign by providing accurate information that could help security agencies deny criminal elements access to firearms.
He also noted that the destruction of seized illicit weapons was consistent with international conventions on arms control to which Nigeria is a signatory.
