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Troops of Operation Safe Haven have recovered 220 small arms and light weapons from criminal elements across their joint operations area, in what has been described as a major stride in Nigeria’s ongoing fight against illegal arms proliferation.
The recovery was announced during an official handover ceremony held at the 3 Division Headquarters of the Nigerian Army on Sunday evening in Jos, where Folushio Oyinlola, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 3 Division and commander, OPSH lauded the troops’ efforts and reiterated the government’s commitment to eradicating the menace of illicit weapons.
The OPSH commander explained that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons has continued to fuel insecurity, violence, and bloodshed in communities across the country.
He noted that “the Federal Government, in response, approved the establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in May 2021 to institutionalize weapons control and streamline eradication efforts”.
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He revealed that the latest seizure includes 84 dane guns, 66 locally fabricated revolver rifles, 27 AK-47 rifles, and several other homemade firearms and explosive devices among others.
“These weapons have been catalogued and are ready to be handed over to the National Centre,” the GOC said, while commending the resilience and professionalism of the troops.
He also praised local communities for their support and actionable intelligence, which have led to successful operations.
Johnson Babatunde, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the center, represented by Abdul Eneche, the North Central zonal commander, formally received the recovered weapons on behalf of the Federal Government.
He applauded Operation Safe Haven for its consistency, noting that similar recoveries were recorded in 2023.
“This is not the first time. A sizeable number of illicit weapons were also handed over from Operation Safe Haven in 2023. Their continuous efforts are helping to reduce the threats posed by armed violence, terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry,” he said.
He urged other arms-bearing and law enforcement agencies across the country to emulate the exemplary work of Operation Safe Haven, describing their achievements as “a model of operational excellence and inter-agency collaboration” that should be replicated nationwide.
He reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to ensuring that illicit weapons are permanently removed from circulation.
