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The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) has dismissed claims circulating in a viral video alleging that suspects arrested over the seizure of illegal weapons at Tin Can Island Port were sponsored by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
The Director-General of the centre, DIG Johnson Kokumo (Rtd.), described the allegations as false while speaking at a joint security spokespersons’ briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
Kokumo said he was personally present at Tin Can Island Port when the Nigerian Customs Service handed over 399 assorted automatic weapons intercepted at the port to the NCCSALW.
He said the circumstances surrounding the seizure directly contradicted the claims contained in the viral video.
“The story in the video is not correct and cannot be correct,” Kokumo said.
He explained that he was at the port alongside the Comptroller-General of Customs when the seized weapons were formally handed over to the centre.
“I was not there in a representative capacity; I was there personally. And the Comptroller-General, of course, was also present personally to do the handing over,” he added.
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Suspects remain in custody
According to the NCCSALW director-general, the seized weapons have been secured in an armoury, while two suspects arrested in connection with the alleged illegal importation remain in custody.
He said investigations were ongoing to identify other individuals involved in the alleged arms trafficking, including possible international criminal partners.
“As I’m talking to you, the arms are in a secured armoury. Two suspects arrested in connection with the illegal importation are currently in custody,” he said.
Kokumo also condemned the allegations in the video, saying it contained calls for violence against Ribadu and other individuals.
He maintained that the claims linking the NSA to the seized weapons were baseless.
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Government destroys recovered illicit weapons
The NCCSALW boss further disclosed that the Federal Government had continued to destroy recovered illicit weapons to prevent them from being diverted into the hands of criminal groups and other non-state actors.
He said the Second Quarter Arms Destruction Exercise for 2026, conducted on July 30 at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Giri, Abuja, resulted in the public destruction of 1,419 illicit weapons.
According to him, the latest exercise brought the total number of illicit weapons destroyed by the centre since 2022 to more than 19,000.
Kokumo said the destruction programme was aimed at preventing illicit weapons from being used by terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal groups.
He added that the centre received 5,050 illicit, unserviceable, decommissioned and obsolete assorted automatic weapons recovered from the Nigeria Police Force in June 2026.
He said the destruction of recovered weapons was consistent with international obligations to which Nigeria is a signatory, including agreements under the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS.
399 weapons intercepted at Tin Can Island
Kokumo also confirmed that 399 JOJEF automatic guns intercepted by the Nigerian Customs Service were handed over to the NCCSALW on August 17, 2026.
He said the centre was working to ensure that recovered weapons did not return to circulation or end up in the hands of criminal elements.
Government not targeting local artisans
The NCCSALW director-general clarified that the government was not targeting legitimate local arms manufacturers, noting that some traditional and artisanal producers possess skills that could potentially be harnessed for national development.
He explained that local communities have historically produced simple firearms, including Dane guns used by hunters.
“From time immemorial, in villages in Nigeria, we have traditional, well-aligned rights where people even fire for joy; they use Dane guns to do all this. We have local hunters who go into the bushes to hunt for rats and rabbits,” he said.
However, Kokumo said the government was concerned about the emergence of sophisticated illicit weapons and criminal manufacturers producing them.
He said the centre would continue its efforts to identify and apprehend those involved in the illegal production and distribution of such weapons.