The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons has destroyed 1,419 illicit weapons and recovered 5,449 firearms in recent operations nationwide. Its director-general, Johnson Kokumo, said this on Tuesday at the Joint Security News Briefing in Abuja.

The briefing was organised for spokespersons of defence, security and law-enforcement agencies to update Nigerians on ongoing security efforts.

Mr 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 exercise brought the total number of illicit weapons destroyed by NCCSALW since 2022 to more than 19,000.

According to him, the destruction is aimed at preventing illicit weapons from reaching non-state actors and fuelling terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

Mr Kokumo said the centre also recorded significant recoveries through collaboration with security and law-enforcement agencies.

He said 5,050 illicit, unserviceable, decommissioned and obsolete automatic weapons were retrieved from the Nigeria Police Force in June.

He added that the Nigeria Customs Service intercepted and handed over 399 JOJEF automatic guns to NCCSALW on August 17.

The director-general said other weapons had also been recovered from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and National Intelligence Agency.

He said the centre was collaborating with relevant justice-sector institutions to prosecute persons involved in arms trafficking, illegal importation and manufacture.

Mr Kokumo said 11 suspects linked to the illegal importation of 844 assorted automatic firearms and 112,500 rounds of ammunition were arrested.

The weapons and ammunition were concealed in a container the Nigeria Customs Service intercepted at Onne Port and handed over to NCCSALW.

He said the principal suspects remained in custody, while investigations continued to apprehend other fleeing suspects.

Mr Kokumo also disclosed the arrest and prosecution of suspects linked to the illegal manufacture of firearms and ammunition in Minna, Niger State.

On weapons management, he said the centre conducted physical security and stockpile management training for personnel of arms-bearing security agencies.

The training, conducted from May 18 to June 19, was designed to prevent the diversion of legally held weapons into criminal circulation.

Mr Kokumo said NCCSALW also commenced steps towards a new national Small Arms Survey to replace the 2016 survey, which no longer reflected current realities.

He said the centre held a baseline workshop on August 20 with representatives from UN agencies, Small Arms Survey, security agencies and relevant government institutions.

According to him, the new survey will provide updated data to guide national responses to the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons.

Mr Kokumo further urged Nigerians to distinguish the federal government’s National Forest Guards initiative from the illegal Nigeria Forest Security Service.

He said the Office of the National Security Adviser coordinated the National Forest Guards initiative.

The director-general said 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 also directed the sealing of the group’s offices nationwide.

Mr Kokumo reaffirmed NCCSALW’s commitment to working with security agencies, international partners and other stakeholders to reduce the circulation of illicit weapons. He called for continued public cooperation and accurate information sharing to support efforts to deny criminal elements access to arms.

He said the destruction of seized illicit weapons was in line with international conventions on arms control, adding that Nigeria was a signatory to them.

(NAN)