Nigeria's arms control agency said on Thursday it destroyed 2,819 illicit, obsolete and decommissioned weapons in a bid to curb insecurity fuelled by the proliferation of illegal arms.

Agency chief Johnson Kokumo said the weapons were destroyed beyond recovery in a public exercise aimed at preventing them from re-entering circulation.

The destruction comes as Nigeria battles banditry, kidnappings, terrorism, and communal violence, which authorities say are sustained by the proliferation of illicit weapons.

Officials said more than 21,000 illicit weapons have been seized since the agency was established in 2021 and more than 19,000 destroyed to keep them out of circulation permanently.