In a bold demonstration of its determination to curb violent crime and enhance national security, the Federal Government on Thursday destroyed 2,819 illicitly acquired, decommissioned and unserviceable small arms and light weapons in Abuja, with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, assuring Nigerians that the protection of lives and property remains the administration’s foremost priority.
The weapons destruction exercise, carried out by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons at the General Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja, increased the total number of illicit arms destroyed by the Centre since its establishment to 19,000.
Speaking at the event through the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro, who represented him as Guest of Honour, Ribadu declared that the Federal Government and all security agencies remained firmly committed to fulfilling their constitutional mandate of safeguarding every Nigerian.
He warned that the proliferation of illegal arms continues to fuel terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and communal violence across the country, stressing that each recovered and destroyed weapon represents “a threat permanently neutralised.”
According to the NSA, the Tinubu administration has, with the President’s full backing, implemented a comprehensive security strategy anchored on intelligence-driven operations, stronger collaboration among security agencies, disruption of criminal financing networks and renewed partnerships with the international community.
He noted that the approach has recorded significant successes nationwide, including the degradation of terrorist networks, improved border security and enhanced capacity to respond to evolving security threats.
Ribadu described the destruction of illicit weapons as a critical pillar of the country’s overall security architecture, saying it complements ongoing military and law enforcement operations by steadily reducing the number of firearms available to criminal elements.
“The control and destruction of illicit small arms and light weapons is an essential, though often underappreciated, component of our national security strategy. It supports kinetic operations by shrinking the pool of weapons available to those who seek to unleash terror and violence on our communities,” he stated.
The NSA commended the Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Johnson Kokumo, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, for the professionalism and consistency demonstrated by the Centre.
He also praised the collaborative efforts of the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies whose recoveries contributed to the destruction exercise.
Ribadu stressed that national security cannot be left to government alone, urging traditional rulers, religious leaders, community stakeholders and all citizens to actively support efforts aimed at preventing the circulation of illegal weapons and promoting peace.
Reassuring Nigerians of the government’s unwavering commitment, he said the nation’s security agencies, under the coordination of the Office of the National Security Adviser, remain united and resolute in protecting lives and property across every part of the country.
He added that transparent exercises such as the public destruction of recovered weapons demonstrate that government is matching its promises with concrete action, insisting that public confidence is earned through sustained and visible
