ABUJA— THE National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday, reassured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s commitment to mopping up illegal weapons across the country as part of efforts to secure lives and property.
He said this during the public destruction of 2,819 illicit, decommissioned and unserviceable small arms and light weapons at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri in Abuja,.
The exercise was conducted by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
With this, the Centre has now destroyed 19,000 weapons since it started operations.
Ribadu, who was represented by the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, said illegal arms are the lifeline of terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal groups.
He said: “Every weapon recovered and destroyed by the security agencies represents a threat permanently neutralized. We are crushing threats one weapon at a time.”
The NSA explained that President Bola Tinubu has given approval for a new security approach built on intelligence-led operations, stronger inter-agency cooperation, cutting off funding for criminals, and closer ties with international partners.
Ribadu said: “This approach has yielded results across the country, from degrading terrorist networks to strengthening our border security architecture, and it continues to evolve to meet new and emerging threats.
“The control and destruction of illicit small arms and light weapons is an essential, and sometimes underappreciated, pillar of this strategy. It complements our kinetic operations by steadily shrinking the pool of weapons available to those who would sow terror or violence in our communities.”
He commended the Director-General of the Centre, DIG Johnson Kokumo (retd), and his team for consistency. He also acknowledged the Nigeria Police Force, Armed Forces, DSS, Customs and other agencies that recovered the weapons.
The NSA further said: “Let me reassure all Nigerians that our security agencies, under the coordination of this office, remain resolute and united in the constitutional duty to protect lives and property across every part of this country.
“Exercises such as this, conducted openly and transparently, are proof of consistent follow-through, not mere ceremony. Government understands that public confidence is earned through sustained, visible action, and we remain committed to earning it, one milestone at a time.”
He urged traditional rulers, religious leaders, and citizens as a whole to provide timely information to security agencies to enable security agencies deal with emerging
threats before they become operational.
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