The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has revealed that a significant number of arms and ammunition recovered from terrorists were originally stolen from the Nigerian Armed Forces and Police during ambushes and surprise attacks. Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, clarified this situation on Thursday, emphasizing that military personnel do not intentionally supply weapons to terrorist groups.
In response to allegations regarding military complicity in arms trafficking, Buba explained that many of the weapons currently in the possession of terrorists were acquired during attacks on security forces. He attributed the proliferation of arms to several factors, including the collapse of Libya and ongoing insecurity in the Sahel region, which have exacerbated the crisis.
Buba highlighted the military’s consistent and robust countermeasures, underscoring that terrorists face severe repercussions after each attack. Recently, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu condemned the discovery of military-grade weapons in the possession of terrorists, expressing strong disapproval of any security personnel found to be involved in supplying arms to criminal elements.