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ABUJA – National Security Adviser Malam Nuhu Ribadu has condemned corrupt practices within Nigeria’s security agencies, warning that compromised personnel pose a significant threat to national security. Speaking at an Arms Destruction Exercise held at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja, on Thursday, Ribadu highlighted the dangers posed by corrupt officers who facilitate the illegal flow of arms.
“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 bad people to come and kill his own colleagues,” Ribadu stated, as he addressed the gathering organized by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
Ribadu disclosed that many of the illicit arms used in criminal activities across Nigeria originated from official stockpiles, pointing to corrupt elements within security agencies as the enablers of the illegal arms trade. He linked the availability of these weapons to heightened insecurity, with non-state actors such as terrorists and bandits exploiting the situation.
“We must find a way to put a stop to this. If we want to recover our country and live in peace and stability, we have to take decisive steps,” he urged, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of Nigerians.
The arms destruction exercise is part of ongoing efforts to combat arms proliferation. Ribadu noted that destroying unserviceable, obsolete, and confiscated arms demonstrates Nigeria’s resolve to secure a safer future.
Retired DIG Johnson Kokumo, Director-General of NCCSALW, explained that the exercise, the third of its kind since the center’s inception and the first under his leadership, involved the destruction of over 2,400 illicit weapons. The stock included unserviceable and decommissioned arms, aimed at reducing the risk to communities and curbing illegal firearms trafficking.
Kokumo highlighted the grave threat posed by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria and the broader West African region, emphasizing that the exercise sends a clear message against unlawful arms possession.
Key military and security officials, including Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Christopher Musa, attended the event, reflecting a united front in tackling the pressing challenge of arms proliferation.
