The Federal Government has disclosed that it has destroyed more than 19,000 illicit weapons since 2022 as part of sustained efforts to dismantle the operational capacity of terrorists, bandits and other criminal networks threatening Nigeria’s security.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu,
disclosed this on Saturday in Sokoto during a high-level brainstorming session
on tackling banditry in Sokoto State, stressing that the government was
intensifying efforts to stem the proliferation of illegal firearms and restore
lasting peace to vulnerable communities.
The dialogue, themed “Coping with Banditry in Sokoto State:
A Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue for Prevention, Containment and Community
Resilience,” was convened by the Sokoto Advancement Forum (SAF) in
collaboration with the Centre for Peace Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University,
Sokoto. It brought security concerns, community resilience and coordinated
action to the forefront of discussions on addressing insecurity in the
North-West.
Ribadu, who was represented by Barrister Zakariyya
Mijinyawa, said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was
strengthening the national security architecture through intensified military
operations, intelligence gathering, law enforcement, border surveillance and
improved inter-agency collaboration. He maintained that defeating banditry
required a coordinated strategy capable of dismantling criminal networks,
disrupting their supply chains and preventing armed groups from exploiting
security gaps.
He identified Operation FANSAN YAMMA as a critical platform
for coordinating security operations across the North-West, noting that
sustained pressure on criminal elements remained necessary to protect lives,
secure communities and prevent armed groups from establishing safe havens. He
said the government would continue to reinforce operational cooperation among
security agencies to confront emerging threats across the region.
Highlighting recent weapons-control operations, the NSA
cited figures from the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light
Weapons (NCCSALW), whose Director-General, retired Deputy Inspector-General of
Police Johnson Kokumo, was identified in his remarks. According to Ribadu, the
centre recovered 5,449 firearms and destroyed 1,419 illicit weapons during
nationwide operations in September 2026, underscoring the continuing challenge
posed by illegal arms trafficking.
“These figures demonstrate the importance of sustained
weapons-control operations. The NCCSALW and relevant security agencies will
continue to strengthen efforts to disrupt arms-trafficking networks, trace
recovered weapons and prevent illicit firearms from reaching criminal groups,”
he said.
Ribadu, however, cautioned that military action and weapons
seizures alone would not deliver sustainable peace unless accompanied by
effective governance and a sustained government presence in communities
recovered from criminal groups. He argued that security operations must be
backed by measures that restore public confidence, rebuild local institutions
and enable displaced and vulnerable populations to resume their normal lives
without the constant threat of violence.
To strengthen coordination, he said the Office of the
National Security Adviser was advancing a whole-of-government and
whole-of-society approach through the National Crisis Management Doctrine
(NCMD). The framework, he explained, was designed to improve preparedness,
strengthen collaboration among relevant institutions and ensure that security
responses were coordinated rather than fragmented across government agencies
and community structures.
Addressing the peculiar security challenges confronting
Sokoto State, Ribadu called for intelligence-led operations to deny bandits
access to safe havens around vulnerable settlements, forest corridors and
border communities. He stressed the importance of supporting State Forest
Guards and NSCDC Agro-Rangers as part of broader efforts to improve
surveillance, protect rural populations and disrupt the movement of criminal
groups.
He also underscored the need for stronger cross-border
intelligence-sharing and functional early-warning mechanisms linking local
authorities, traditional rulers, community leaders and security focal points.
According to him, timely reporting and rapid responses to credible security
alerts would be crucial to preventing attacks and protecting residents in
vulnerable areas, including Sabon Birni, Isa, Tangaza and Goronyo.
The NSA further called for stronger community participation
in the fight against banditry, warning that misinformation, economic hardship
and the vulnerability of young people could undermine security interventions if
left unaddressed. He urged stakeholders to protect livelihoods, expand access
to education and employment opportunities, and develop community-based measures
capable of discouraging youth recruitment into criminal networks.
“Reintegration must never replace justice or reward
violence. National security frameworks can succeed only when communities help
translate them into local action,” Ribadu declared, emphasising that
reconciliation and rehabilitation efforts must operate within the framework of
accountability and the rule of law. His position highlighted the need to
balance opportunities for peace with justice for victims and measures to
prevent the recurrence of violence.
He commended the Sokoto Advancement Forum (SAF) for
developing its Blueprint for the Strategic Development of Sokoto State, urging
participants to translate the dialogue into measurable actions rather than
allowing the discussions to end as another policy exercise without practical
consequences. He specifically called for the development of a community
security and early-warning plan that would establish clear responsibilities,
improve information-sharing and strengthen cooperation between residents and security
agencies.
“Let this dialogue mark a decisive step towards a safer
Sokoto where communities live without fear, agriculture and commerce flourish,
young people pursue productive lives, and public institutions protect every
citizen,” Ribadu said.
He maintained that restoring security in Sokoto and the
wider North-West would require sustained commitment, collective responsibility
and a comprehensive strategy that combines military pressure,
intelligence-driven policing, effective governance, economic opportunity and
community resilience.
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