Nigerian Military Detains Over 30 For Arms Theft Amid Ongoing Insurgency.
The Nigerian military has arrested more than 30 individuals, including 18 soldiers, 15 mobile policemen, and eight civilians, for allegedly stealing weapons from military stockpiles and selling them to armed groups, including jihadists. The arrests, which include a traditional ruler among the civilians, were announced by military spokesman Ademola Owolana during a briefing on Wednesday, with details released to AFP on Friday.
The detentions follow a targeted operation launched in August 2024 to curb the rampant theft of arms and ammunition, which has fuelled Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges. Owolana revealed that “a few soldiers motivated by greed had been involved in ammunition racketeering, deliberately diverting arms from military stockpiles and supply chains to terrorists.” The operation was initiated in response to escalating cases of weapons theft amid a resurgence of deadly jihadist attacks in the northeast.
Nigeria continues to grapple with a complex web of security threats, including a 15-year jihadist insurgency in the northeast led by groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The country also faces a farmer-herder conflict in the north-central region, violent secessionist movements in the southeast, and widespread kidnap-for-ransom operations in the northwest. Recent weeks have seen intensified jihadist raids, particularly targeting military bases, which have become a significant source of weapons for insurgent groups.
According to UK-based Conflict Armament Research (CAR), which has studied jihadist weapons sources for over a decade, at least 20 percent of the arms used by jihadists in the Sahel region are obtained through raids on military bases. The theft and diversion of military weapons have further emboldened these groups, exacerbating the security crisis.
The arrests mark a significant step in addressing internal corruption that has undermined Nigeria’s efforts to combat insurgency. Authorities are continuing investigations to uncover the full extent of the arms trafficking network and prevent further leaks of military resources to criminal and terrorist groups.
As Nigeria battles multiple fronts of violence, the military’s crackdown on internal corruption signals a renewed commitment to tackling the root causes of insecurity, though the road to stability remains fraught with challenges.
