Over 500 firearms have been seized by the Nigerian military from citizens.

The Nigerian military claims to have captured more than 500 illicit firearms from citizens in the Plateau state in the country's central region.

A military officer handed out 517 weapons, including AK-47s, handguns, and locally produced guns, at a ceremony in Jos, the state capital, on Thursday.

They were taken from criminals during the last two years, including armed robbers and gangs who kidnapped individuals for ransom, according to a military spokeswoman.

Some were discovered in Bauchi and Kaduna states, respectively. Several persons were also detained.

According to some estimates, 6.5 million small arms and light weapons were in circulation in Nigeria last year, with roughly 90% of them in the hands of non-state actors.

According to commentators, this makes dealing with armed conflicts in the country more challenging.

Nigerian authorities, on the other hand, say they are currently attempting to recover such weapons from people and control their spread.

Nigeria is battling numerous forms of armed violence, including a deadly insurgency by jihadist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State, as well as an increasing number of murders and kidnappings for ransom by armed gangs known as bandits in the country.

In the last two decades, Plateau state has seen numerous communal disputes as well as gang violence, resulting in thousands of deaths and enormous displacement of people.