The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has expressed strong condemnation of police and military personnel who are involved in the theft and sale of arms and ammunition to criminal elements.
His remarks came during an event in Abuja marking the destruction of seized weapons by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
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Ribadu labeled those security agents engaged in these illegal activities as “worse human beings” and emphasized the urgent need for measures to curb such actions.
He stated, “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.”
He also condemned security personnel who assist in the trafficking of weapons to terrorists, bandits, and other non-state actors, revealing that a significant portion of the illicit arms used in crimes within the country were originally government property.
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Nigeria is grappling with severe security challenges, particularly from groups like Boko Haram, which has carried out a violent insurgency in North-East Nigeria for 15 years, claiming over 40,000 lives.
In Central and North-West Nigeria, bands of criminals, commonly referred to as “bandits,” have been terrorizing communities by raiding villages, abducting residents, and setting homes ablaze after looting.
Officials and analysts have noted that jihadist groups are increasingly collaborating with these criminal gangs, especially in central Niger State, where they have established a foothold by capturing villages and setting up camps.
In a recent incident in April, Boko Haram fighters killed two soldiers and several vigilantes in an attack on Allawa village, prompting a withdrawal of troops and forcing residents to flee amid fears of further assaults.
While bandits are primarily driven by financial motives and lack any ideological agenda, there are growing concerns about their alliances with jihadist factions, which could escalate the security crisis in the region.
