National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has reaffirmed the Nigerian government’s dedication to seizing and destroying illegal firearms nationwide. This pledge follows the public destruction of 2,819 confiscated and obsolete weapons held at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Abuja.
This initiative, managed by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, brings the total number of destroyed arms to 19,000 since the organization’s inception. Speaking on behalf of Ribadu, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, noted that illicit weapons sustain the operations of terrorists, kidnappers, and bandits. By removing these tools from circulation, security agencies are actively undermining criminal capabilities.
Ribadu highlighted that President Bola Tinubu has authorized a strategy focused on intelligence gathering, enhanced inter-agency collaboration, and the disruption of criminal financing. This framework has reportedly improved border security and weakened terrorist groups. The NSA praised the efforts of Director-General DIG Johnson Kokumo (retd) and various security forces for their role in these seizures. He also called on community leaders and the public to cooperate by sharing intelligence with authorities to prevent future threats.
