THE recent arrest by troops of Operation Hadin Kai of 18 serving soldiers and 15 policemen for allegedly selling arms to non-state actors has confirmed the fear of many a Nigerian that the seemingly intractable challenge of insecurity in the country has always been sustained partly by internal treachery and sabotage. It turns out that some security operatives who had the sacred mandate of protecting citizens’ lives and properties by warding off attacks by violent non-state actors were the ones arming terrorists and bandits! And these aberrant security personnel reportedly had substantial deposits and suspicious cash flows in their bank accounts to underscore their participation in the lucrative but criminal gun-running business. It is really terrible and disturbing.
Worse still, it may well be that just a few of these misguided personnel have been apprehended while many are still within the system, insidiously perpetuating the atrocious action. It is the height of indiscipline and betrayal of trust for personnel of the police and the army to be involved in actions that do not just dampen the effectiveness of the fight against insecurity but also bolster the combat readiness and performance of outlaws in the theatre of war. Again, there is no guarantee that the sale of arms to the insurgents and bandits did not include consultancy services that involved snitching on federal troops, revealing their movements and other privileged information that may compromise the safety of soldiers in the battlefield. That may have accounted for the several successful ambushes that terrorists have laid for the government troops. The ominous implication is that there are personnel of security agencies who are actively working towards a protracted regime of insecurity in the land because they are benefiting from the chaos. This startling but concerning revelation was reportedly made under Operation Snowball, which was launched in August 2024 to counter ammunition racketeering in the theatre.
The operation is reportedly being conducted across 11 states with suspects arrested in Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Enugu, Lagos, Plateau, Kaduna, Rivers, Taraba and the Federal Capital Territory. And as the authorities have confirmed: “So far, a total of 18 soldiers, 15 mobile policemen and eight civilians, including a traditional ruler, have been arrested.” The pervasiveness of the act of betrayal by the apprehended security operatives and civilians alike across all geopolitical zones attests to the dampening patriotism and the proclivity of certain citizens to engage in precipitate actions for filthy lucre. Why would any sane human support and actively aid the activities of outlaws levying war against their country and compatriots just because of money or any other ignoble consideration?
The authorities claim to have found that pressure by communities on serving security personnel to provide arms and munitions for communal conflicts and the lucrative nature of the trade in arms are the main factors driving the burgeoning trend of arm sales and illegal logistical support to enemies of the state. However, these reasons provide no grounds for any patriotic citizen to sabotage the security of his/her country. And more significantly, with respect to security operatives whose raison d’être diametrically negates giving any scintilla of support to terrorists or criminals. It smacks of self and national sabotage to arm terrorists. But somehow, the lure of pecuniary gains from the criminal act of gun-running would appear to have impaired the judgment of the saboteurs.
Aside the sale of arms to violent non-state actors, the authorities also disclosed that from January 2025 to date, over 186 terrorist logistics suppliers, spies and collaborators had been arrested across the theatre of operation. These different shades of support to the terrorists have made the situation really grievous, especially because the suspects might not be the only ones involved, as we observed earlier. To be sure, there must be crimes going on at the higher levels, too, which may be difficult to expose because of the strategic positions of the perpetrators within the system, but a thorough investigation of the current case may provide a lead to the support base, if any, of the suspects. Arming or providing any form of support to enemies of the country is treasonable. It shows that the suspects violated the oath of allegiance they took to protect Nigeria and Nigerians. And there must be dire consequences for a breach of the law, especially for personnel of security agencies whose clandestine activities undermine the country’s fight against insecurity. This case also shows that the recruitment process in the services involved is fundamentally flawed. Criminals are literally being hired and saddled with the responsibility of law enforcement! In other words, these individuals would never have been recruited in the first place if thorough background checks had been conducted before enlisting them in the services.
The investigation should be thorough to unravel the dimensions of the sabotage and the dramatis personae involved, aside from those already in custody. Ordinarily, no one has easy access to arms and ammunition except those in vantage official positions. The situation should, therefore, be examined thoroughly to ensure that no criminal is allowed to go unpunished. It is distressing that the same arms procured with taxpayers’ money to protect lives and properties are the ones being stolen from the official armouries and sold to terrorists to attack innocent citizens. It is axiomatic that aiding and abetting individuals or groups levying war against the Nigerian State is an act of treason and we urge that the instant case be treated as such if a painstaking inquiry confirms the guilt of the suspects.
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