NCCSALW Secures 3,199 Seized Weapons, Ongoing Investigations

At a quarterly Joint Security Press Briefing in Abuja, the Director General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), retired Deputy Inspector General of Police Johnson Kokumo, addressed allegations regarding the smuggling of arms into Nigeria. He clarified that 3,199 automatic weapons intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service were formally handed over to the NCCSALW and are secured in an armoury.

Two suspects related to the illegal importation are in custody as investigations continue to uncover a broader criminal network. Kokumo distinguished between traditional artisanal firearms and the sophisticated illicit weapons now entering Nigeria, emphasizing the need for intensified efforts against criminal manufacturers.

He defended Nigeria’s policy of destroying recovered illicit weapons, aligning with international obligations to prevent these weapons from being reused by non-state actors. In the last three months, the NCCSALW received 5,050 decommissioned weapons from the Nigeria Police Force and 399 JOJEF automatic guns from the Nigeria Customs Service.