Johnson Kokumo, Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), has dismissed as false allegations circulating in a viral video that suspects arrested over the seizure of illegal arms at the Tin Can Island Port were allegedly sponsored by Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser (NSA).
Kokumo described the claims as baseless, saying he was personally present when the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) intercepted and subsequently handed over 399 assorted automatic weapons to the centre for investigation and safe custody.
The NCCSALW director-general spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the joint security spokespersons briefing, where he provided details of the seizure and ongoing investigation into the alleged illegal importation of the weapons.
“The story in the video is not correct and cannot be correct,” Kokumo said.
He explained that he personally accompanied the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service to the Tin Can Island Port during the handover of the seized weapons to the centre.
“I was at the Tin Can Island Port with the Comptroller-General; 399 assorted automatic weapons were intercepted by the Nigerian Customs Service at the port. And this cache of arms, illegal weapons, was 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 said.
According to Kokumo, the seized weapons have since 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 establish the full network behind the arms shipment, including possible links to international criminal groups.
“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.
“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 said.
Kokumo also raised concerns over the contents of the viral video, saying it went beyond making allegations and allegedly called for violence against the NSA and other individuals.
He therefore urged Nigerians to disregard the claims, insisting that the facts surrounding the seizure and custody of the weapons were verifiable.
“So, what has gone viral in the video is not correct and cannot be correct,” he said.
Kokumo further disclosed that the Federal Government had continued to destroy recovered illicit weapons as part of measures to prevent them from being diverted back into criminal circulation.
He said the destruction programme was also consistent with Nigeria’s obligations under international and regional agreements on the control and elimination of illicit small arms and light weapons.
These, he said, included conventions and agreements under the United Nations, African Union and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Kokumo said destroying recovered weapons was particularly important given the potential consequences of allowing such weapons to re-enter the illicit market.
“And of course, another reason for destroying them is to also ensure that the weapons so recovered do not find their way back into the hands of non-state actors for use on innocent citizens of Nigeria,” he said.
He disclosed that the centre’s Second Quarter Arms Destruction Exercise for 2026, held on July 30 at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja, resulted in the public destruction of 1,419 illicit weapons.
The latest exercise, he said, increased the cumulative number of illicit weapons destroyed by the centre since 2022 to more than 19,000.
Kokumo further disclosed that the centre received 5,050 illicit, unserviceable, decommissioned and obsolete assorted automatic weapons retrieved from the Nigeria Police Force in June 2026.
He said the weapons were transferred to the centre as part of ongoing efforts to ensure that recovered and obsolete firearms were properly accounted for and prevented from being diverted into criminal hands.
He also disclosed that the 399 automatic guns intercepted by Customs at the Tin Can Island Port were formally handed over to the NCCSALW on August 17, 2026.
The disclosure provides further details on the chain of custody of the weapons amid the controversy generated by the viral video.
Kokumo also clarified that the government’s campaign against illicit firearms was not targeted at legitimate local arms manufacturers or traditional artisans whose skills could potentially be deployed for productive purposes.
He acknowledged that locally manufactured firearms have historically been used by hunters and communities for legitimate purposes, particularly in rural areas.
“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.
“All these guns, of course, are manufactured by local artisanal producers. But what we are seeing now is the introduction of sophisticated weapons,” he said.
According to him, the major concern for the government is the emergence of criminal manufacturers producing increasingly sophisticated weapons capable of being deployed by organised criminal groups.
He said the government was, however, also interested in identifying talented local artisans whose technical abilities could be redirected towards legitimate national development.
“So, we have those who are criminal manufacturers of these illicit weapons; we are really out for them.
“And we have equally identified talents among the local manufacturers; 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,” he added.
The NCCSALW chief said the approach was intended to distinguish between criminal arms production and traditional or artisanal skills that could potentially be harnessed for lawful industrial and national-security purposes.
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