The Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), DIG Johnson Kokumo (retd.), has dismissed claims linking National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to the illegal importation of firearms intercepted at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Kokumo described as false a viral video alleging that individuals arrested in connection with the arms shipment were sponsored by the NSA.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja during a joint security spokespersons’ briefing, Kokumo said he was personally present at the Tin Can Island Port when the Nigeria Customs Service handed over 399 assorted automatic weapons intercepted at the port to the NCCSALW.
He said the weapons were now secured in an armoury, while two suspects arrested in connection with the alleged illegal importation remained in custody as investigations continued.
According to Kokumo, investigators are working to establish the full network behind the shipment, including possible international collaborators involved in the alleged trafficking operation.
The NCCSALW boss said the allegations contained in the viral video were baseless and particularly concerning because the video also allegedly called for violence against the NSA and other individuals.
The 399 firearms were intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service after a container that arrived at Tin Can Island Port aboard the MV Velika on July 8 was flagged by the Customs risk-management system. The firearm components had reportedly been dismantled and concealed in the container before being detected and subsequently assembled by officials.
Two suspects, identified by Customs as Robert Eze and Ejiogu Godson, were arrested in connection with the shipment and remanded by the Federal High Court in Lagos. Investigators are working to establish the intended destination and those behind the attempted importation.
Kokumo also disclosed that the government had continued to destroy recovered illicit weapons to prevent them from finding their way back into the hands of criminal groups and other non-state actors.
He said the NCCSALW destroyed 1,419 illicit weapons during its second-quarter arms destruction exercise held on July 30 at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Giri, Abuja.
The latest exercise, he said, brought the total number of illicit weapons destroyed by the centre since 2022 to more than 19,000. The centre also received 5,050 illicit, unserviceable, decommissioned and obsolete automatic weapons retrieved from the Nigeria Police Force in June.
Kokumo said the destruction of recovered firearms was consistent with Nigeria's obligations under international agreements involving the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Customs Service has continued to record arms seizures at the Tin Can Island Port. On Monday, the command announced the interception of another consignment containing 204 pump-action rifles concealed among household goods imported from Turkey.
The latest developments have heightened concerns over attempts to move illicit firearms through Nigeria's ports, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 election cycle.
Security agencies have pledged to strengthen intelligence sharing, surveillance and enforcement to prevent illegal firearms from reaching criminal networks and other unauthorised users.
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