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 or surprise attacks. Major General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, provided this clarification on Thursday, asserting that personnel of the Armed Forces do not intentionally supply weapons to terrorist groups.
Addressing allegations of military complicity in the movement of arms, Buba explained that many of the weapons currently in the possession of terrorists were seized during attacks on security forces. He highlighted that the proliferation of arms has been exacerbated by the collapse of Libya and ongoing insecurity in the Sahel region, contributing significantly to the current crisis.
Buba emphasized the military’s ongoing and decisive countermeasures, ensuring that terrorists face severe consequences after each attack. Recently, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu condemned the discovery of military-grade weapons in terrorist caches and expressed strong criticism toward any security personnel found to be involved in supplying arms to criminal elements.