The National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, has condemned some police officers and soldiers for selling arms from their formations to criminals.
Ribadu made this disclosure on Thursday during an arms destruction exercise organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, NCCSALW, at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja.
Ribadu expressed concern over the complicity of security personnel in the proliferation of illicit arms, which, he said, fuel violent crimes such as insurgency and banditry.
“The worst human being is a policeman or a soldier who will take arms from his own formations and sell them or hide them out for the bad people to come and kill his own colleagues,” Ribadu said.
The NSA noted that some of the weapons used in crimes were originally government-issued but ended up in the hands of non-state actors through corrupt officers.
He stressed the need to halt this trend to restore peace and security in Nigeria. “We have to find a way of putting a stop to this. We must, if we want to recover our country and live in peace and stability,” he said.
The arms destruction exercise involved over 2,400 illicit weapons, including decommissioned, unserviceable, and recovered arms.
Johnson Kokumo, the Director-General of NCCSALW, described the proliferation of small arms as a significant threat to national security and stability.
“These weapons have been mopped up by the military, police, and other security agencies across the country,” Kokumo said.
“By permanently removing these arms from circulation, we reduce the risk they pose to our communities and send a clear message that Nigeria will not tolerate the illegal trafficking and possession of small arms and light weapons.”
Kokumo further revealed that weapons recently recovered by the Nigeria Customs Service in Port Harcourt would be destroyed after the conclusion of court proceedings.
He assured that the NCCSALW would continue efforts to trace and destroy illicit arms to strengthen security in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
Ribadu reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to supporting the NCCSALW in addressing the challenges posed by arms trafficking.
He added that all illegal arms would be destroyed to ensure compliance with the laws governing arms ownership.
“Any weapon that is taken out there through an illegal process is supposed to be destroyed completely,” he declared.
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