The national security adviser, Mal. Nuhu Ribadu has raised an accusing fingers on some securty agents whom he alleged that have been selling customized weapons to criminal elements in the country.
The pronouncement by Malam Nuhu Ribadu has raised dust from among stakeholders and indeed Nigerians who believe that for the statement to come from the National Security Adviser the situation must have been delicate.
Mal. Nuhu Ribadu raised the allegations in Abuja on Thursday during an event set up to destroy unlicensed weapons recovered from some criminal elements.
The quantity of the illegal weapons destroyed during the event were up to 2,400 and the exercise was conducted in the presence of senior security chiefs in the country.
The national security adviser insisted that the majority of the weapons recovered from the criminals were legitimately owned by the Nigerian security agencies.
He further said, some unpatriotic security agents found it as a habit to be selling these weapons to criminal elements through an illegitimate proceed for money making.
He described as unfortunate how security agents who are employed to protect the citizens resorted to embarking on illegal arm deal for unpatriotic reasons.
He assured that the government will take drastic measures to dealing with any security agent found in this unpatriotic act.
Nigerians have been raising concern on how criminal elements are sourcing their weapons for miscreant criminal activities.
EXPERTS SAYS THE PRONOUNCEMENT BY RIBADU IS A TESTAMENT OF REALITY
Experts in security had largely stated that the pronouncement by Malam Nuhu Ribadu has been a prominent problem known to many Nigerians.
The team lead of Beacon Consulting, a security firm Dr. Kabir Adamu has told BBC Hausa service that the allegations by Malam Nuhu Ribadu had since been confirmed.
He stated further that since when late Ali Kwara raised alarm on this development, they have deepened investigation, and they have found element of proof on the allegations.
He further said some security agencies had also provided element of facts regarding the allegations of illegal arms deal by some unpatriotic security agents.
He also recalls that during the administration of former President Muhammed Buhari the auditor general of the federation stated in one of his reports that there are enough evidences which shows that criminal elements are using weapons owned by the government of Nigeria to be committing crimes against the state and it’s citizens.
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD DO TO ABORT THIS KIND OF SITUATION
Dr. Kabir Adamu insisted that it is the sole responsibility of the government to ensure that the proliferation of arms from security agents to some criminal elements in Nigeria is aborted.
He explained that those making the allegations public now are the same leaders who are supposed to institute measures to end this ugly development.
He described as erring how the same state authorities saddled with the powers to stop this illegal movement of arms are coming to the public to be raising these kinds of allegations.
On the measures to be instituted to abort the ugly situation, Dr. Kabir Adamu said government need to verify those to be recruited and be given the mandate of securing lives and properties of the citizens.
He insisted that, even after recruitment, those employed needs to be screened over again and again.
He also emphasized the need to strengthen the basis of how security operatives picked and returned arms in their armory.
The security expert equally advised that technology has to be invented to monitor how security forces are handling weapons given to them for operations.
