Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser (NSA), has labeled police officers and soldiers who sell arms to criminals as the “worst human beings.”
Ribadu made this strong statement during an arms destruction exercise organized by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) on Thursday at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja.
Addressing the gathering, Ribadu condemned security personnel who facilitate the transfer of arms to terrorists and other non-state actors, noting that many of the illicit weapons used in criminal activities were once government property.
“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,” Ribadu said, as quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He stressed that stopping such practices is crucial for restoring peace and stability in the country.
Ribadu further noted that the arms destruction exercise, which involved obsolete and recovered weapons, demonstrated the federal government’s commitment to national security.
He emphasized the urgency of tackling both internal and external contributors to the proliferation of illicit arms, which continue to fuel insurgency, banditry, and violent crimes across Nigeria.
Johnson Kokomo, Director-General of NCCSALW, also addressed the issue, warning that the spread of small arms posed a significant threat to national security.
Kokomo revealed that over 2,400 illicit weapons would be destroyed during the exercise. These weapons, recovered by various security agencies, include unserviceable and decommissioned arms.
Kokomo added that permanently removing these arms from circulation would help reduce the risks they pose to Nigerian communities and send a clear message that the country will not tolerate illegal arms trafficking.
Ribadu reaffirmed the federal government’s ongoing support for the NCCSALW in its mission to secure the country and curb the proliferation of illicit weapons.