The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has said that a sizeable number of illicit arms being used to commit crimes in the country originally belonged to the government.
Ribadu said this on Thursday during the Arms Destruction Exercise organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms And Light Weapons, NCCSALW, Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, at Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment Giri, Abuja.
He explained that the weapons ended up in the hands of non-state actors due to corrupt elements within the security agencies.
The NSA condemned and rained curses on the security personnel who facilitate the movement of weapons to terrorists, bandits and other non-state actors.
He assured that the government would do everything possible to ensure that the country is safe, secured and protected.
“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 said.
Ribadu said 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.
The NSA said the federal government had remained committed to providing the necessary support to the centre towards ensuring the safety of every Nigerian.
According to him, 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 added.