In a recent briefing, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) disclosed that many of the arms and ammunition recovered from terrorist groups in Nigeria were originally seized from the Nigerian Armed Forces and Police during ambushes and surprise attacks.
Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, addressed these revelations on Thursday, aiming to refute claims of intentional arms supply to terrorists by security personnel.
Responding to allegations of military involvement in the trafficking of weapons, Major General Buba clarified that terrorist groups have frequently armed themselves by targeting and overwhelming security forces. He further attributed the widespread availability of arms to instability in the Sahel region and the fallout from Libya’s collapse, which has fueled the crisis and enabled arms smuggling across borders.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has recently voiced concerns over the discovery of military-grade weapons in terrorist caches, condemning any form of security complicity in arms trafficking. In response, Buba emphasized that the Armed Forces remain committed to neutralizing terrorist threats, with the military executing rigorous and targeted countermeasures after each assault.