The Defence Headquarters, on Thursday, explained how non-state actors have been obtaining arms.

According to the military high command, the Libyan conflict and instability in the Sahel have allowed arms to flow into Nigeria, exacerbating the country’s insurgency and terrorism crisis.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, disclosed this in response to allegations made by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Ribadu, at an event where small and light weapons were destroyed in Abuja, said a sizable number of illicit arms used to commit crimes in the country originally belonged to the government.

The NSA accused soldiers and policemen of selling weapons to criminal elements in the country.

While fielding questions from journalists, Buba, however, attributed the availability of these weapons primarily to the Libyan and Sahel crisis.

He said, “To your question about the proliferation of arms within our country and the allegation that some of those arms are from security forces.

“This is what I can tell you about it. When we talk about the proliferation of arms, first, you have to look at what happened in Libya years ago and in the Sahel.

“Now, this gave the opportunity for arms to get into the wrong hands and then filtered into our country, which worsened the issue of insurgency and terrorism that we were faced with in the country. That is one.”

Buba also stated that another way terrorists had been getting their arms was by attacking security agencies and carting away their rifles.

He said, “Two, is from the textbook. The textbook tells you that part of the ways insurgents and terrorists get arms is to attack security forces and take arms from them.

“This is a textbook, meaning that it is proven all over the world. So if it has happened here in Nigeria, it is not a surprise, as we have seen that several of our troops have been ambushed or killed and their arms taken.”

Buba, however, said the military has consistently responded to such incidents with decisive counter-measures.

“But what we have done is that in every such instance, we have made the terrorists pay a greater price than we have been forced to pay in such circumstances,” he said.

The army spokesman also said troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces killed no fewer than 140 terrorists and arrested 135 suspects across the country in the last week.

Among those arrested were a founding father of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Pius Iguh, and an IPOB commander identified as Emmanuel Onwugu.

In his address, Buba said Iguh was arrested in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State, while Onwugu was apprehended in Abia State.

He said, “In the South-East theatre, troops at FOB Orsu conducted a sting operation that culminated in the arrest of an IPOB terrorist leader.

“The arrested terrorist leader, identified as Pius Iguh, is a founding father of the ESN group in the Orsu general area of Imo State.

“Similarly, troops at FOB Amaraku conducted a raid that resulted in the arrest of another IPOB terrorist commander, identified as Emmanuel Onwugu in Abia State.

“Relatedly, troops and security forces, in a combined sting operation, arrested a notorious cult leader named Ifeanyi Rock. He was arrested with 10 of his combatants in Arochukwu in Abia State.

“Meanwhile, during the week under review, troops neutralised 140, arrested 135 persons and rescued 76 kidnapped hostages.”

Buba also said a total of 18 suspected oil thieves were arrested and stolen crude oil worth N1.7bn was recovered.

He said, “Troops also arrested 18 perpetrators of oil theft. Troops also denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of N1,751,886,550.00 only.

“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 33 crude oil cooking ovens, 19 dugout pits, 41 boats, 70 drums, 22 storage tanks and 47 illegal refining sites.

“Other items recovered include 13 speedboats, one tricycle, four motorcycles, and 3 vehicles, among others.

“Troops recovered 1,122,710 litres of stolen crude oil and 557,210 litres of illegally refined AGO.”

He further said troops recovered 241 weapons and 3,254 ammunition.

“The breakdown is as follows: 141 AK-47 rifles, one PKT gun, two FN rifles, 17 fabricated rifles, 26 Dane guns, 13 pump action guns, four locally made pistols, one Barreta pistol, two bayonets and 42 AK-47 magazines.

“Others are 2,016 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 970 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 33 rounds 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 76 rounds of 9mm ammo, 113 live cartridges, 2 baofeng radios, three vehicles, 31 motorcycles, 18 mobile phones and the sum of N79,052,150 and $19 only amongst other items,” he added.

PUNCH