Over 19,000 Illicit Weapons Destroyed in Nigeria

DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, the Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), announced that over 19,000 illicit weapons have been destroyed in four years. During a press conference in Abuja on July 30, 2026, he reported that 1,419 illicit weapons were destroyed in the Second Quarter Arms Destruction Exercise for 2026.

Kokumo refuted allegations from a viral video claiming that individuals arrested for illegal arms at the Tin Can Island Port were sponsored by National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. He provided details on recent recoveries, including 5,050 automatic weapons from the Nigeria Police Force and 399 JOJEF automatic guns from the Nigeria Customs Service.

The NCCSALW is pursuing prosecutions related to illegal arms trafficking, including ongoing trials of 11 suspects linked to the importation of 844 firearms and 112,500 rounds of ammunition intercepted at Onne Port. Kokumo also urged public awareness of the National Forest Guards initiative while dismissing the illegal Nigeria Forest Security Service led by Joshua Osatimehin.