The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, says Nigeria can defeat terrorism through concerted efforts of the federal government and unity of citizens to control proliferation of illicit arms.
Ribadu said this during the destruction of arms and light weapons conducted by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in Abuja on Thursday, June 5, 2025.
The NSA, who was represented by the Special Adviser on Governance and Subnational Liaison, Asishana Okauru, said proliferation of SALW constitutes a huge threat to national security.
He said the menace had become a key driver of violent conflict, crimes and terrorism within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.
Ribadu stated that the failure of the global community to effectively control the availability of illicit SALW has continued to undermine global peace and significantly hinder development especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Ribadu noted that the establishment of the Centre in 2021 was a historic step towards addressing the problem of small arms proliferation through an institutional platform that would structurally address all underlying contributors to national security threats within international protocols.
He added that the signing of the Small Arms and Light Weapons Act 2024 by President Bola Tinubu further demonstrated Nigeria’s commitment to putting an end to elicit arms in the country.
“The destruction exercise is a reminder to all Nigerians of our collective responsibility to support the government and by extension the security agencies in the fight to defeat criminality, terrorism, banditry, and all other forms of behaviours that threaten our national interest and socio-economic wellbeing,” the NSA stated.
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