Nigeria destroys 2,809 illicit firearms in Abuja

The Nigerian government destroyed thousands of illicit firearms on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in a public exercise aimed at permanently removing weapons from circulation and curbing the widespread insecurity fueled by illegal arms. The event, organized by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, saw approximately 2,809 weapons burned and smelted at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Giri, Abuja.

Officials stated the destruction brings the total number of illicit, decommissioned, and unserviceable weapons permanently taken out of circulation to about 19,000 since the centre's establishment. The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, represented by the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dennis Otuaro, described the proliferation of illegal arms as a direct driver of the nation's security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and communal clashes.

Ribadu emphasized that transparent destruction was critical to prevent seized weapons from re-entering criminal networks through theft or negligence. He stated that every weapon destroyed represents a threat eliminated from society and warned those involved in the illegal arms...