Cache’s of Illicit Arms Captured from Terrorists, Bandits, Kidnappers Emanated from Govt’s Security Armoury-NSA; Condemn Security Operatives who facilitate movement of weapons to Terrorists, Criminal Elements

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has expressed regrets that the large cache of Illicit Arms which are used by terrorists, bandits and kidnappers to inflict perpetrate insecurity and crimes in the country originally belonged to the government.

He spoke on Thursday during the Arms Destruction Exercise organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms And Light Weapons (NCCSALW), ONSA at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment Giri, Abuja.

Noting that due to the activities of corrupt elements within the security agencies, these weapons subsequently ended up in the hands of non-state actors, Ribadu condemned and rained curses on the security personnel who facilitate the movement of weapons to terrorists, bandits and other non-state actors.

His words, “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 arms 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 vowed that the government would do everything possible to ensure that the country is safe, secured and protected.

Ribadu disclosed that the arms destruction exercise was one of several that has been conducted by the Centre in the past being a major focus and a decisive step in the concerted effort to address the challenge of arms proliferation in Nigeria.

He said the federal government had remained committed to providing the necessary support to the centre towards ensuring the safety of every Nigerian.

“By destroying unserviceable, obsolete and recovered arms, we are demonstrating our commitment to a secure future for all Nigerians.

“All illicit arms, not only unserviceable, all illicit. Any weapon that is taken is out there that is through illegal process.

“We have laws that govern ownership of small arms. If you do not follow it, it is an illegal arm and it is supposed to be destroyed completely,” he emphasized.

The Director General of NCCSALW, retired DIG Johnson Kokumo, said the arms destruction exercise was the third in a series since the centre was established and the first since his assumption of command.

Kokumo said the challenge posed by the proliferation of SALW was one of the major threats to peace and security in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

He said the exercise would witness the destruction of over 2,400 illicit weapons, comprising a mix of unserviceable, de-commissioned 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.

“It is also important to state that the National Centre has in its custody some recovered/captured illicit SALW still undergoing tracing as well as investigations and legal processes.

“These include the illicit weapons handed over to the Centre by the Nigeria Customs Service.
These categories of weapons would be destroyed on completion of the proceedings during subsequent routine destruction exercises,” he said.

Disclosing that the destruction had successfully removed thousands of illegal dangerous weapons from circulation with serious security implications for the country, he said, “this exercise is in line with the provisions of Article 17 of the ECOWAS Convention on small arms and light weapons as well as the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SALW.

He thanked the NSA and the military for the support being extended to the centre to meet its constitutional mandate.