Over 40 mobile policemen and soldiers security personnel selling arms and ammunition to terrorists have been arrested in recent months across the country, security intelligence of Nigeria has disclosed. This alarming phenomenon was uncovered during sensitive investigations into the proliferation of weapons employed by terrorists and bandits, conducted by intelligence agencies in partnership with the Nigerian Army Military Police.
The disturbing revelation highlights a critical violation in Nigeria’s internal security, where individuals sworn to defend the nation are instead fueling violence and aiding illegal elements.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, had previously presented concerns over the illegal sale of arms by security actors to bandits and terrorists.
Speaking at an event arranged by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Abuja, Ribadu denounced the betrayal by these personnel.
“The worst human being is a policeman or a soldier who takes arms from his formation and sells them to bad people, enabling them to kill his own colleagues and fellow citizens,”
Ribadu said.
He highlighted the urgent need to stop these practices, cautioning that they not only embolden terrorists but also worsen insecurity in Nigeria and the broader West African region.
The involvement of security personnel in arming terrorists not only compromises national protection but also damages regional measures to combat terrorism.
This crisis has also added to the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons(SALW) given the growing menace of terrorism in Nigeria, where the country is struggling to prevent the infiltration of terrorists groups from countries like Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. Intelligence sources verified to Zagazola Makama that these individuals were arrested during discreet investigations into the proliferation of weapons employed by criminal elements, including terrorists and robbers in the North East, North West, North Central and South East parts of the country.
