National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has disclosed that a significant number of the illegal weapons being wielded by terrorists and bandits in Nigeria were originally belonged to the Federal Government.
Ribadu expressed this during a weapons destruction event organized by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Abuja.
Ribadu claims that corrupt individuals within the security agencies are responsible for these weapons ending up in the wrong hands.
He expressed confidence that the country is fully equipped to address its security challenges.
he NSA condemned security personnel who facilitate the movement of arms to terrorists and other non-state actors.
He added that some illicit arms being used to commit crimes in the country originally belonged to the government.
Ribadu said the destruction of the recovered and obsolete arms demonstrated the federal government’s commitment to secure a future for all Nigerians
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,” NAN quoted the NSA as saying.
“The worst human being is a policeman or a soldier who will take an arm from his own formations and sell it or hide it out for the bad people to come and kill his own colleagues
“We must fight these people, but also there are merchants of death and evil from outside the world.
“The proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons remains a major threat to our national security, exacerbating issues such as insurgency, banditry, and other violent crimes.”
He added that the federal government will continue to provide support to the NCCSALW toward ensuring the safety of every Nigerian
