The Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), DIG Johnson Kokumo (retd.), has dismissed claims linking the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to the illegal importation of arms intercepted at Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Kokumo described a viral video making the allegation as fake and misleading, noting that the video also contained calls for violence against Ribadu and other individuals.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, the NCCSALW boss said he personally witnessed the handover of 399 assorted automatic weapons intercepted by the Nigerian Customs Service at the port.
According to him, the weapons are currently secured in an armoury, while two suspects arrested in connection with the shipment remain in custody as investigations continue.
Kokumo said the investigation was aimed at identifying those behind the illegal arms importation as well as possible international collaborators.
He stated, “What has gone viral in the video is not correct and cannot be correct,” while urging the public not to believe the allegation linking Ribadu to the seized weapons.
The NCCSALW chief also disclosed that the Federal Government would continue to destroy recovered illicit weapons to prevent them from being diverted to criminal groups and other non-state actors.
He said the policy was consistent with Nigeria’s obligations under relevant international agreements involving the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS.
Kokumo disclosed that 1,419 illicit weapons were publicly destroyed during the centre’s Second Quarter Arms Destruction Exercise held on July 30, 2026, at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Giri, Abuja.
He said the latest exercise brought the total number of illicit weapons destroyed by the centre since 2022 to more than 19,000.
According to him, the exercise was part of government’s broader efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal firearms used in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes.
He further revealed that the centre received 5,050 illicit, unserviceable, decommissioned and obsolete automatic weapons retrieved from the Nigeria Police Force in June 2026.
Kokumo added that 399 JOJEF automatic guns intercepted by Customs were formally handed over to the centre on August 17, 2026.
The NCCSALW boss, however, clarified that the government’s efforts were not aimed at legitimate local arms manufacturers.
He explained that some local artisans possess valuable skills that could be redirected towards productive and lawful purposes.
Kokumo said the government had identified talented local manufacturers whose expertise could be incorporated into national development initiatives.
He stressed that the major concern was the production of sophisticated illegal weapons by criminal elements, which could further fuel insecurity across the country.
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