ABUJA, July 30 – Nigeria’s arms control agency said on Thursday it destroyed 2,819 illicit, obsolete and decommissioned weapons in a bid to curb insecurity fuelled by the proliferation of illegal arms.
• Agency chief Johnson Kokumo said the weapons were destroyed beyond recovery in a public exercise aimed at preventing them from re-entering circulation.
• The destruction comes as Nigeria battles banditry, kidnappings, insurgency and communal violence, which authorities say are sustained by the proliferation of illicit weapons.
• Officials said more than 21,000 illicit weapons have been seized since the agency was established in 2021 and more than 19,000 destroyed to keep them out of circulation permanently. REUTERS
