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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Nigerian Navy has distanced itself from comments by its Director of Legal Services, Commodore Jamila Abubakar, alleging illegal arms dealing by Chadian soldiers.
Abubakar, had during a public hearing organized by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence Monday, where she represented the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Auwal Gambo, alleged that an average Chaldean soldier has over 20 weapons stocked under their beds and sell them for as cheap as between $20 and $30, when they are broke.
She said some of the weapons donated by developed countries to neighbouring nations were finding their ways to non-state actors, thereby complicating the security woes of the country.
The officer who said she had once served in the region in the counter insurgency war, advised that until those countries build their armories to store their weapons, the insecurity bedeviling the region would persist.
But in a swift reaction, the Nigerian Navy said the senior officer was on her own as comments and contribution on the alleged sale of weapons was her personal opinion and not that of the service.
The Director, Naval information, Comodore Suleiman Dahun, noted that while Abubakar, duly represented the position of the Nigerian navy on the proposed Act, “she went ahead to make some unauthorized, personal comments on the issue of trans-national trafficking of small arms and light weapons.”
Commodore Dahun’s statement reads:
“The House of Representative Committee on National Security and Intelligence yesterday 27 September 2021 held a public hearing on 4 Bills, including the Bill for an Act to Establish the National Commission Against Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (HB 10).
“During the hearing on this Bill, the representative of the Nigerian Navy (NN) duly presented the position of the Service on the proposed Act but went ahead to make some unauthorized, personal comments on the issue of trans-national trafficking of small arms and light weapons.
“This is as it relates to neighbours with which Nigeria maintains robust diplomatic security relationships/collaborations; a personal opinion that is at variance with the position of the NN.
“The NN wishes to categorically dissociate itself from the view of the senior officer. The NN appreciates the indelible contributions of our regional partners/neighbours in the fight against small arms and light weapons trafficking.
“Pertinently, effective and sustained regional cooperation towards ensuring maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea is a key priority of the NN.
“Against this background, the Service acknowledges the regional security efforts of our neighbouring countries within the existing frameworks of bilateral and multilateral cooperations and commits to working assiduously to strengthening these arrangements. Onwards Together.”
“Specifically, Commodore Jamila Abubakar has spoken “too candidly” at the public hearing on the proliferation of small arms and weapons, saying: “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.
“They do not have 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 because you find out that each average 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 we are going to collaborate with ECOWAS and other countries that are donating such arms to these countries, I think we should insist that they should either enact laws to govern the handling of these arms and ammunition or build an armoury for these countries or else we will not see peace.”
Sources said that while her statements may have elements of truth, it should not be expressed at a public forum as it may be misconstrued as an attack on a friendly-country with which Nigeria is prosecuting a war against terrorism.
