The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has revealed that over 4,000 firearms have been willingly surrendered by civilians under the government’s gun amnesty initiative.
Speaking on TV3 on Sunday, March 15, Mr. Muntaka indicated that security agencies had already discovered about 11,000 firearms from civilians even before the formal amnesty period was introduced.
However, the launch of the programme encouraged additional individuals to hand over weapons without facing legal consequences.
“That’s why we came in with the amnesty. And when we rolled out the amnesty period, the statistics showed that we were able to retrieve over 4,000 guns in the hands of civilians,” he stated.
According to the minister, the weapons collected during the exercise are currently being compiled and marked by relevant security agencies as part of preparations for their eventual destruction.
He further stated that the amnesty programme falls under a broader government strategy to combat the spread of illegal firearms and strengthen public safety across the country.
The Ministry of the Interior had earlier announced an extension of the gun amnesty programme from January 15 to January 30, 2026, to allow more individuals to voluntarily surrender illegal or unregistered firearms.
The initiative was first announced on November 18, 2025, and took effect on December 1, 2025, as part of efforts to reduce the proliferation of illicit arms and enhance national security.
Mr. Muntaka said that the removal of unlicensed weapons from circulation is relevant in supporting the work of security agencies in addressing violent crime.