The Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Johnson Kokumo, has dismissed viral allegations linking National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to the illegal arms shipment intercepted at Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Kokumo, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, described the allegations as false and baseless while addressing journalists during a joint security spokespersons’ briefing in Abuja.
The controversy followed a viral video in which individuals arrested in connection with the seized weapons allegedly claimed that they were sponsored by Ribadu.
Kokumo rejected the allegation and said he was personally present at Tin Can Island Port when the Nigeria Customs Service handed over the seized weapons to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
He said Customs intercepted 399 assorted automatic weapons at the port before handing the illegal weapons over to the centre for further action.
The arms centre boss stressed that he was physically present alongside the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service during the handover and was not merely attending in a representative capacity.
According to Kokumo, the seized weapons have since been secured in an armoury while two suspects arrested over the alleged illegal importation remain in custody.
He said investigations are continuing with the aim of identifying and prosecuting those responsible for the shipment as well as possible international criminal partners involved in the operation.
Kokumo also criticised the contents of the viral video, describing its allegations as baseless and noting that it contained calls for violence against Ribadu and other individuals.
He urged the public to disregard the claims, insisting that the account presented in the circulating video did not reflect what happened during the seizure and subsequent handover of the weapons.
The development comes weeks after Customs intercepted the large consignment of automatic weapons at Tin Can Island Port, raising concerns over the continued attempt to move sophisticated firearms into Nigeria.
Kokumo said the government was determined to ensure that recovered weapons do not eventually return to criminal groups or other non-state actors who could use them to perpetrate violence.
He explained that the Federal Government has therefore continued to destroy recovered illicit weapons in line with Nigeria’s obligations under international agreements involving the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS.
The centre’s Second Quarter Arms Destruction Exercise for 2026, conducted on July 30 at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Giri, Abuja, resulted in the public destruction of 1,419 illicit weapons.
Kokumo said the latest exercise pushed the total number of illicit weapons destroyed by the centre since 2022 to more than 19,000.
He said the destruction programme is intended to prevent recovered firearms from being diverted back into the hands of terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal elements.
The official also disclosed that the centre received 5,050 illicit, unserviceable, decommissioned and obsolete automatic weapons retrieved from the Nigeria Police Force in June 2026.
He added that the 399 automatic weapons intercepted by Customs were handed over to the centre on August 17, 2026, where they remain secured as investigations continue.
Kokumo further clarified that the government’s campaign against illegal firearms is not aimed at legitimate local arms manufacturers whose skills could potentially be harnessed for productive national purposes.
He distinguished between traditional artisanal producers who manufacture basic hunting firearms and criminal manufacturers involved in producing sophisticated weapons for illicit purposes.
According to him, the authorities are particularly interested in dismantling networks producing sophisticated illegal weapons while identifying talented local manufacturers whose skills could potentially be redirected towards legitimate national service.
The Tin Can Island seizure has consequently become another major focus of Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to disrupt the illegal movement of firearms and trace the networks behind arms trafficking.
With two suspects still in custody and investigations ongoing, authorities are expected to establish the full chain behind the consignment and determine whether additional local or international actors were involved.
For now, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons maintains that there is no basis for the viral allegation linking Ribadu to the shipment, while the seized weapons remain secured pending the conclusion of investigations.