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National Centre to Destroy Over 30,000 Illegal Arms and Ammunition

Published by Tope Fakinlede on September 17th, 2024.

National Centre to Destroy Over 30,000 Illegal Arms and Ammunition

The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) is preparing to destroy 30,132 decommissioned, unserviceable, and illegal arms and ammunition by the end of September. This includes 3,383 firearms and 26,749 rounds of various ammunition, some of which come from government agencies with arms-bearing responsibilities.

DIG Johnson Kokumo (retd.), National Coordinator of NCCSALW, shared this information during a workshop on gender and small arms proliferation prevention in Abuja on Tuesday. He explained, “The Centre has collected 3,383 decommissioned and illicit small arms and light weapons, along with 26,749 rounds of ammunition from several government agencies, including the Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, and Nigeria Police Force.”

Kokumo also noted that items from the Defence Intelligence Agency, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigerian Security & Civil Defence Corps, and Nigeria Customs Service will be included in the destruction process. He stressed the significance of the exercise, stating, “This arms destruction exercise is crucial for ensuring that these recovered weapons are permanently eliminated from circula

tion.”