Is Ribadu Behind Illegal Arms Importation in Nigeria? Federal Government Speaks Out
- The federal government of Nigeria, through NCCSALW, explained that a viral video falsely linking NSA Nuhu Ribadu to an illegal arms importation case is fake news
- NCCSALW confirmed one of its top officials was personally present when 399 automatic weapons seized at Tin Can Island Port in Apapa, Lagos, were handed over to the centre
- NCCSALW boss revealed that a July 2026 arms destruction exercise brought the total number of illicit weapons destroyed since 2022 to over 19,000
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over four years of experience covering security issues and counterinsurgency in Nigeria and across Africa.
FCT, Abuja - DIG Johnson Kokumo (rtd.), the director-general of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), has described as false a viral video claiming that suspects arrested over illegal arms importation through the Tin Can Island Port were sponsored by National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
As reported by Leadership, Kokumo, speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, September 1, said the video not only contained falsehoods but also incited violence against Ribadu and other named individuals.
Source: Facebook
Federal government's account of fresh seizure
He said:
"What has gone viral in the video is not correct and cannot be correct."
The NCCSALW boss stated that he was personally present at the Tin Can Island Port alongside the Comptroller-General of Customs when 399 assorted automatic weapons were intercepted and formally handed over to the centre. He said the arms are currently held in a secured armoury, with two suspects in custody as investigations continue.
Kokumo said, according to Business Day:
"Investigation is ongoing with a view to bringing to book the criminal elements in Nigeria and possibly identifying their international criminal partners outside the shores of Nigeria."
He added that 399 JOJEF automatic guns intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service were handed over to the centre on August 17, 2026.
Source: Twitter
Nigeria destroys 1,419 illicit weapons
Kokumo also disclosed that the Second Quarter Arms Destruction Exercise for 2026, held on July 30 at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Giri, Abuja, led to the public destruction of 1,419 illicit weapons. This brings the cumulative total of illicit weapons destroyed by the centre since 2022 to more than 19,000.
He said the destructions were consistent with Nigeria's obligations under international conventions, including agreements with the United Nations, African Union, and ECOWAS, and were aimed at ensuring recovered weapons do not find their way back into the hands of non-state actors involved in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and armed robbery.
In June 2026, the centre also received 5,050 illicit, unserviceable, decommissioned, and obsolete assorted automatic weapons retrieved from the Nigeria Police Force.
Nigeria cracks down on illegal arms
While affirming the government's commitment to combating the spread of sophisticated illegal weapons, Kokumo said legitimate local arms manufacturers were not being targeted. He acknowledged the long-standing role of artisanal producers in communities across Nigeria, particularly those making Dane guns used by hunters.
"What we see now is the introduction of sophisticated weapons," he said, noting that the government's concern was with criminal manufacturers, not traditional craftsmen.
He added that some skilled local producers had already been identified for potential integration into national service.
"The talents, those who are naturally talented, of course, will be absorbed into our plans, and we'll see how they can be most efficiently and productively used in national service," Kokumo said.
Read more on Nuhu Ribadu
- Expert reacts as Nuhu Ribadu presents photographic evidence showing corpses of high-profile terrorists
- Troops kill over 300 top bandit leaders as Nuhu Ribadu declares: "you must lay down your arms"
- 2027 election: 'Why you should not underestimate President Tinubu,' Nuhu Ribadu sends notable message to opposition
Ribadu: Onanuga seeks probe of tapping claim
Legit.ng earlier reported that Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, called for a thorough investigation into Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s admission that he accessed an intercepted phone conversation involving Ribadu.
In a post on X, Onanuga described El-Rufai’s disclosure as a “confession” and questioned whether the former Kaduna governor and his unnamed “collaborators” possess wiretapping facilities.
Source: Legit.ng
