NSA Not Behind Tin Can Island Arms Importation: Arms Control Centre Debunks Viral Video

The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) has dismissed claims circulating in a viral video that connected National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu to a cache of illegal weapons intercepted at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.

Speaking at a joint security spokespersons briefing in Abuja, the Director-General of the NCCSALW, DIG Johnson Kokumo (retd), described the claims in the viral video as completely baseless, adding that the recording also contained inciteful calls to violence.

Clarifying the Tin Can Island Port Handover

Kokumo clarified that he was physically present alongside the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service when the intercepted cache was officially transferred to the centre for secure custody.

• Weapon Cache: A total of 399 JOJEF automatic weapons were intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service and handed over on August 17, 2026.
• Suspects in Custody: Two principal suspects linked to the illegal shipment remain in custody while security agencies trace both domestic and international criminal networks.
• Armoury Security: The seized weapons are currently locked in a secured government armoury awaiting final destruction protocols.

“The story in the video is not correct and cannot be correct. I was at the Tin Can Island Port with the Comptroller-General… I was not there in a representative capacity; I was there personally. So, what has gone viral in the video is not correct.” — DIG Johnson Kokumo (retd)

Mass Weapon Destruction Exercises and Recovery Stats

To prevent recovered weapons from being re-diverted to non-state actors, bandits, and terrorists, the Federal Government continues to execute routine destruction exercises in line with UN, AU, and ECOWAS conventions.

Event / Timeline	Weapon Recovery & Destruction Metrics
July 30, 2026 Exercise	1,419 illicit weapons destroyed during the Q2 exercise at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja.
Cumulative Destruction (Since 2022)	Over 19,000 illicit weapons publicly destroyed by the centre.
Police Handover (June 2026)	Received 5,050 decommissioned, unserviceable, and obsolete weapons from the Nigeria Police Force.

Absorbing Artisanal Talent vs. Cracking Down on Illegal Manufacturers

Addressing local arms production, Kokumo explained that the government differentiates between traditional artisanal producers and criminal elements manufacturing sophisticated weaponry:

• Harnessing Talent: The government plans to identify and absorb naturally gifted local gunsmiths into formal national service frameworks for productive development.
• Targeting Criminal Manufacturers: Law enforcement will maintain an aggressive crackdown on illegal manufacturers mass-producing sophisticated weapons for criminal networks.