The Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), has transferred 220 illegally held weapons to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The formal presentation took place on Sunday at the OPSH headquarters in Jos, Plateau State.
During the handover, the Commander of OPSH, Major General Folusho Oyinlola, explained that the arms were recovered in a series of operations designed to tackle banditry, communal conflicts, and other criminal threats within the task force’s operational zone.
The cache of seized weapons included 84 Dane guns, 66 locally made revolver rifles, 27 AK-47 rifles, 8 fabricated AK-47s, as well as pistols, shotguns, and mortars. Security personnel also recovered more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition.
According to Oyinlola, the breakthroughs were achieved through both combat and non-combat strategies, such as raids on criminal enclaves, cordon-and-search missions, stop-and-search checkpoints, and community-based engagements.
He noted that troops had dismantled several criminal networks by neutralising armed gangs, apprehending arms traffickers, and cutting off supply routes sustaining violence across Plateau and adjoining states.
“The Federal Government, through the establishment of the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in 2021, is determined to end the proliferation of illicit arms that continues to drive insecurity in the country,” the Commander stated, while urging Nigerians to cooperate with the ongoing arms mop-up efforts.
The OPSH Commander applauded his men for their “resilience, professionalism, and dedication” to peacekeeping and thanked locals who provided intelligence that aided many of the recoveries.
He further advised the public to remain law-abiding and share timely information with security agencies, stressing that collaboration was vital to eliminating illegal weapons and curbing crime in the region.
