Nigeria Destroys Over 2,000 Illicit Weapons in Major Effort

The Nigerian government, through the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), destroyed over 2,000 illicit weapons during an exercise at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Giri, Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT. This destruction raised the total number of illegal weapons permanently removed from circulation to approximately 19,000.

The NCCSALW, established under the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act, 2024, coordinates efforts to combat the illegal flow of weapons. Director-General Johnson Kokumo, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, described the destruction as a significant act of national security aimed at addressing the proliferation of illicit arms, which contribute to terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes in Nigeria.

He stated that the Centre had recovered over 21,000 illicit and unserviceable weapons since its inception and emphasized that each destroyed weapon represents a permanent removal from potential criminal use.