The IGP has ordered a nationwide 14-day operation to recover illegal firearms and curb violent crime across Nigeria.
ABUJA, NIGERIA — Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has directed all police commands across Nigeria to commence a 14-day nationwide special operation targeting the recovery of illegal firearms and the dismantling of criminal networks fueling insecurity.
The operation, expected to run simultaneously across the country's 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, is part of renewed efforts to curb violent crimes linked to the proliferation of illicit weapons.
The police leadership said the exercise would focus on intelligence-led raids, stop-and-search operations, targeted surveillance, and coordinated enforcement against individuals and groups unlawfully in possession of firearms.
According to police authorities, the special operation is designed to reduce the circulation of illegal arms that have continued to fuel banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, communal violence and armed robbery in different parts of the country.
State police commands have been instructed to intensify patrols, strengthen intelligence gathering and collaborate with other security agencies to identify and arrest those involved in illegal arms trafficking.
The Inspector-General also urged members of the public to support the operation by providing credible intelligence capable of leading to the recovery of illegal weapons and the arrest of criminal suspects.
The directive comes at a time when several North Central states, including Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger and Kogi, continue to battle recurring attacks by armed groups.
Security experts have repeatedly identified the widespread availability of sophisticated and locally fabricated firearms as a major factor sustaining violence across the Middle Belt.
Communities affected by attacks have consistently called for stronger efforts to intercept illegal weapons before they reach criminal groups.
Analysts say reducing the number of illegal firearms in circulation could significantly weaken the operational capacity of kidnappers, bandits and other violent criminal groups.
However, they caution that the success of the operation will depend on effective intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation and sustained enforcement beyond the initial two-week exercise.
They also stress the need to strengthen border security and dismantle arms trafficking networks supplying weapons to criminal organisations.
The launch of a nationwide operation against illegal firearms represents one of the most significant policing initiatives in recent months.
For communities across the Middle Belt, where armed violence has disrupted farming, displaced thousands of residents and claimed numerous lives, the recovery of illicit weapons could contribute to improving security.
Nevertheless, experts argue that long-term success will require continuous intelligence operations, prosecution of arms traffickers, community policing and closer collaboration among security agencies to prevent new weapons from entering criminal hands.
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