Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA), says some police officers and soldiers pick up arms from their security formations and sell them to criminals.
Ribadu spoke on Thursday during the arms destruction exercise organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The exercise took place at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment Giri, Abuja.
The 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. 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,” NAN quoted the NSA as saying.
He added that the federal government will continue to provide support to the NCCSALW toward ensuring the safety of every Nigerian.
Johnson Kokomo, the director-general of NCCSALW, said the proliferation of small arms poses a great challenge to the fight against insecurity in the country.
Kokomo said the exercise would witness the destruction of over 2,400 illicit weapons, comprising a mix of unserviceable, decommissioned, and recovered arms. “These weapons have been mopped up by the military, police, and other security agencies across the country
“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,” he said.
