The military high command has said no personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria facilitates the movement of arms and ammunition to terrorists, bandits and other criminals terrorising the country.

It said most of the arms found in the hands of non-state actors were usually carted away by the criminals when they attack formations of security agencies at their respective areas of responsibilities.

Edward Buba, the Director, Defence Media Operations, who stated this to journalists at Defence Headquarters, Abuja, during a press briefing, also attributed the availability of weapons primarily to the Libyan and Sahel crises.

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, while setting ablaze some decommissioned, unserviceable and recovered illicit arms last week, said security personnel facilitate guns for the criminals.

But responding to a question about the allegation during the briefing on Thursday, Buba explained that the Libyan conflict and instability in the Sahel have allowed free flow of arms into Nigeria. This, he said, has exacerbated the country’s insurgency and terrorism crises.

The senior military officer said, “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 filter into our country, which worsened the issue of insurgency and terrorism that we were faced with in the country. That is one.

“Two, 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 away.”

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

140 terrorists killed in a week

Buba also said troops have eliminated 140 terrorists, apprehended 135 suspects and rescued 76 kidnapped hostages in different operations across the country in the last one week.

Buba said troops also recovered 241 assorted weapons and 3,254 ammunition, comprising 141 AK47 rifles, one PKT gun, two FN rifles, 17 fabricated rifles, 26 Dane guns and 42 AK47 magazines.

Others, he said, 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, and113 live cartridges among other items.

Buba said the on-going counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations of the armed forces have dealt significant blows to terrorists’ capabilities. (Text, excluding headline: Daily Trust)