The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has strongly condemned the actions of security personnel involved in stealing and selling arms to criminal groups. Speaking at an arms destruction event organized by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Abuja on Friday, Ribadu labeled such individuals as “worse human beings,” stressing the need to address the issue urgently.
Ribadu expressed deep frustration with police officers and soldiers who divert arms from their formations to criminals, saying, "The worst human being is a policeman or soldier who will take arms from his own formations and sell them to bad people, who then use those weapons to kill their colleagues." He also emphasized that stopping this internal threat is critical to restoring peace and stability in Nigeria.
The NSA went on to curse security personnel involved in the illegal arms trade, revealing that a significant portion of the weapons used by terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements originally belonged to the government. This alarming revelation comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with severe security challenges across various regions.
In the North-East, Boko Haram and jihadist groups have been responsible for over 40,000 deaths in a 15-year insurgency. Central and North-West regions are also plagued by violent "bandits" who raid villages, loot, and kill residents. Ribadu’s comments come amid growing concern that these criminal gangs are increasingly collaborating with jihadists, further destabilizing the country.
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