An intelligence report has revealed how proliferation of arms is making war on terrorism and banditry drag out in Nigeria. Chad is to blame.
A representative of the Chief of Naval Staff, Commodore Jemila Abubakar stated this when she represented Awwal Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff, at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence on the consideration of four security bills.
Abubakar said the weapons donated by developed countries to neighbouring nations have found their way into the hands of criminals thanks to broke soldiers and lack of armoury.
“I was in charge as a member of the fight against Boko Haram and I can tell you categorically here (I stand to be corrected) that some of these countries that we have borders with have no armoury.
“So most of their arms that are being donated by – I don’t want to be specific – the developed countries in the name of assisting us are compounding our problems in Nigeria.
“You find out that each Chadian soldier has 20 to 30 arms underneath his bed. When he is broke, he brings it out and sells it for $30, $20.
“I am here. I am standing here, and I am saying it.”
Since Nigeria is going to collaborate with ECOWAS and other countries that are donating such arms to these countries, she suggested the federal government should insist those donors should either enact laws to govern the handling of these arms and ammunition or build an armouries for these countries.
France and the US are among the developed countries offering some of Nigeria’s neighbours, including Chad, Niger Republic, and others military supports against terrorists.
And President Muhammadu Buhari sought the cooperation of these neighbouring countries when he came into office in 2015.