The National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, confirmed what many informed observers had long suspected as a major contributor to Nigeria’s inability to overcome its insecurity challenges.

At the Arms Destruction Exercise organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, NCCSALW, at Giri, Abuja, Ribadu disclosed that “most” of the weapons used to commit crimes like terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and attacks by herdsmen militias, originally belonged to our armed forces.

According to him, these arms end up in the hands of our enemies due to the activities of criminals and bad eggs in the armed forces, police and other security agencies. Ribadu reportedly poured invectives on the culprits:“The worst human being is a policeman or a soldier who will take arms from his own formations and sell it or hire it out for the bad people to come and kill his own colleagues”.

As worrisome as this revelation is, it is not surprising. A few weeks ago, a serving army general, Brigadier-General MA Sadiq, was arrested and detained on allegations that he diverted palliatives meant for the Army. He was also accused of selling military equipment, including generating sets and operational vehicles, to scrap buyers

The widespread corruption in the system is chiefly responsible for the system failure bedevilling the nation.Most people entrusted with government funds and property are stealing them. Because the people at the top are culpable of this crime, they find it difficult to take action when their subordinates also help themselves. The entire system is riddled with corruption, and no one appears willing or able to bell the cat.

The weakness of our national fabric makes it possible for bands of motorcycle-mounted, assault rifles-wielding bandits and terrorists to prove so difficult. Bad eggs in the armed forces, police and security agencies have been identified as colluding with vandals to uproot and sell our rail tracks.

Some soldiers have been accused of deliberately surrendering or abandoning armoured tanks to their cohorts in Boko Haram. There have been numerous reports of helicopters ferrying arms into camps of herdsmen terrorists, and nobody even bothers to address that issue.

Our forces, which are tested in defending the nation and even helping restore peace to war-torn neighbours, can, and should do better. They must identify and destroy their bad eggs.

NSA Ribadu and his colleagues in charge of national security should have the full powers of state to tackle them. They must do their job. What does Ribadu want the public to do with mere lamentation? (Vanguard Editorial)