Arms Centre Boss Debunks NSA Link to Tin Can Island Illicit Weapons

Rear Admiral Johnson Kokumo (retd), the Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, has unequivocally refuted widespread claims from a viral video suggesting that the individuals apprehended for the illicit importation of firearms at Tin Can Island Port were operating under the sponsorship of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday during a joint security spokespersons' briefing, Kokumo clarified his direct involvement in the incident. He stated that he was physically present at the Tin Can Island Port when the Nigerian Customs Service officially handed over 399 various automatic weapons, which had been intercepted at the port, to the Centre. "The narrative presented in the video is inaccurate and cannot be substantiated," Kokumo asserted. "I was personally at the Tin Can Island Port alongside the Comptroller-General. A total of 399 diverse automatic weapons were seized by the Nigerian Customs Service at the port, and this cache of illegal arms was subsequently transferred to the Centre. I attended in person, not as a representative, and the Comptroller-General was also personally present for the handover ceremony."

Kokumo confirmed that the confiscated weapons are currently secured within an armoury, and two suspects linked to the illegal importation remain in custody. He added, "As we speak, these arms are safely stored. Two individuals arrested in connection with this illegal importation are presently detained. Investigations are ongoing with the aim of prosecuting the criminal elements within Nigeria and potentially identifying their international collaborators beyond our borders."

He further dismissed the allegations in the viral video as baseless, highlighting that the video also incited violence against the NSA and other officials. "Therefore, what has circulated in that video is false and utterly incorrect," he reiterated.

The Director-General also revealed that the Federal Government consistently destroys recovered illicit weapons to prevent their re-entry into circulation among criminal and non-state actors. He explained that this destruction aligns with international conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory, including agreements under the United Nations, African Union, and ECOWAS. "Another crucial reason for their destruction is to ensure these recovered weapons do not end up back in the hands of non-state actors, who would use them against innocent Nigerian citizens," he elaborated.

Kokumo announced that the Second Quarter Arms Destruction Exercise for 2026, conducted on July 30 at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Giri, Abuja, led to the public destruction of 1,419 illicit weapons. This latest exercise brings the cumulative total of illicit weapons destroyed by the Centre since 2022 to over 19,000. He emphasized that these destruction efforts are part of the Federal Government's strategy to curb the possession and use of illicit weapons by non-state actors involved in terr*rism, banditry, kidn*pping, armed robbery, and other violent crimes.

He further disclosed that the Centre received 5,050 illicit, unserviceable, decommissioned, and obsolete assorted automatic weapons from the Nigeria Police Force in June 2026. Additionally, 399 JOJEF automatic guns intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service were handed over to the Centre on August 17, 2026.

However, Kokumo clarified that the government's focus is not on legitimate local arms manufacturers, noting that some artisanal producers possess skills that could be leveraged for national development. "Historically, in Nigerian villages, we've had traditional, well-regulated practices where people use Dane guns for celebratory firing or local hunters use them for bush hunting. These guns are often produced by local artisans. But what we are now observing is the proliferation of sophisticated weapons," he explained. He concluded by stating that the government is particularly concerned with criminal manufacturers of sophisticated illicit weapons, intending to prosecute them, while also identifying and potentially integrating talented local manufacturers into national service plans.