Tin Can seizure: Arms Centre boss denies Ribadu link

The Director-General of Nigeria's National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, DIG Johnson Kokumo, has refuted claims made in a viral video that individuals arrested during the seizure of illegal arms at Tin Can Island Port were allegedly sponsored by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. Speaking during a joint security spokespersons briefing in Abuja, Kokumo clarified that he was present at the port when the Nigerian Customs Service handed over 399 seized automatic weapons to the centre.

He emphasized that the story in the video was incorrect and could not be true. Kokumo stated that the seized weapons are now securely stored in an armoury, and two suspects linked to the illegal importation are currently in custody. He further assured that an ongoing investigation aims to hold accountable those responsible for the criminal activities.

The Director-General also addressed the video's call for violence against the NSA and other individuals, stating that the claims made were baseless. Kokumo revealed that the Federal Government continues to destroy recovered illicit weapons to prevent them from falling into the hands of criminal and non-state actors, in line with international conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory.

The Second Quarter Arms Destruction Exercise for 2026, held on July 30 in Abuja, resulted in the public destruction of 1,419 illicit weapons, bringing the cumulative number of weapons destroyed by the centre since 2022 to over 19,000.