The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has issued strong criticism of police officers and soldiers involved in the illegal sale of arms and ammunition to criminal elements.
Speaking during the destruction of seized weapons by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Ribadu described these security agents as the “worst human beings.”
According to Ribadu, some members of the armed forces are facilitating the movement of weapons from military formations to non-state actors, including terrorists and bandits.
He stressed the need for urgent measures to be put in place to curb this alarming trend, as it is undermining national security.
“We have to find a way of putting a stop to this if we want to recover our country and live in peace and stability,” Ribadu stated.
He further lamented the role of corrupt security agents in arming criminals, saying, “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 did not hold back, raining curses on those involved in selling government-issued arms to terrorists and other criminal groups.
He revealed that a significant portion of the illicit arms being used to commit crimes across Nigeria originated from government stockpiles.
Nigeria is currently grappling with a range of security challenges.
In the North-East, the Boko Haram insurgency and other jihadist groups have been waging a 15-year campaign of violence, which has claimed over 40,000 lives.
Meanwhile, in the Central and North-West regions, criminal gangs known as “bandits” have terrorized communities, killing, abducting residents, and looting homes.
These bandits have been increasingly collaborating with jihadist groups, with officials and analysts warning that these criminals are now establishing a stronger foothold in central regions like Niger State.
Earlier this year, Boko Haram fighters killed two soldiers and local vigilantes in the village of Allawa, forcing the withdrawal of troops and the displacement of local residents.
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