The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has explained how government weapons end up in the hands of terrorists.
It said terrorists get such arms when they attack military formations.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, said this while addressing reporters on military operations across the country.
Last week, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, had said a sizeable number of illicit arms being used by non-state actors originally belonged to the government.
Ribadu said the weapons ended up in the hands of non-state actors due to corrupt elements within the security agencies.
Echoing the NSA’s statement, Buba said: “When we talk about the proliferation of arms, first, you have to look at what happened in Libya years ago, in the Sahel.
“Now, this allowed arms to get into the wrong hands and then filtered into our country. This worsened the issue of insurgency and terrorism that we are faced with in the country.
“It is not a surprise. As we have seen, several of our troops have been ambushed or killed and their arms taken.
“But what we have done is that in every such instance, we have made the terrorists pay a greater price than we have been forced to pay in such circumstances.”
The DHQ also said troops on operations across the country arrested 135 terrorists, including two Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leaders, killed 140 terrorists and rescued 76 kidnap victims.
Buba said troops of Operation Udo Ka at Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State arrested an IPOB leader identified as Pius Iguh.
The suspect is said to be a founding father of Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Orsu general area of Imo State.
Buba said troops at FOB Amaruku arrested another IPOP leader, identified as Emmanuel Onwugu in Mbano Local Government Area of Abia State.
The defence spokesman said troops, in collaboration with other security forces, arrested a “notorious cult leader” called Ifeanyi Rock with 10 of his combatants in Arochukwu area of Abia State.
He said the troops within the period recovered 241 assorted weapons and 3,254 assorted ammunition, among others.
He gave a breakdown of recovered weapons as follows; 141 AK-47 rifles, one PKT gun, two FN rifles, 17 fabricated rifles, 26 Dane guns, 13 pump action guns, four locally-made pistols, one Barreta pistol, two bayonets and 42 AK-47 magazines.
Others include 2,016 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 970 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 33 rounds 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 76 rounds of 9mm ammo, 113 live cartridges, two Baofeng radios, three vehicles, 31 motorcycles, 18 mobile phones and the sum of N79,052,150.00 and 19$ only amongst other items.
Also, in the Niger Delta region, Buba said troops destroyed 47 illegal refining sites, arrested 18 suspected oil thieves and recovered stolen products worth N1,751,886,550.00.
The troops also destroyed 33 crude oil cooking ovens, 19 dugout pits, 41 boats, 70 drums, and 22 storage tanks.
The defence spokesman said troops also recovered 13 speedboats, one tricycle, four motorcycles, three vehicles, 1,122,710 litres of stolen crude oil and 557,210 litres of illegally refined AGO.
Also, troops of 6 Brigade of the Nigerian Army/Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have dismantled a notorious kidnapping syndicate said to be terrorising parts of Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, and Lau Local Government Area of the state.
Acting on an intelligence report, the first two suspects, identified as Ali Idi and Haruna Umar, were apprehended on October 22 during a raid at a local hotel in Mayo Dassa area of Jalingo where they were reportedly hiding.
A search on their mobile phones revealed incriminating evidences, including a photograph showing Haruna Umar brandishing an AK-47 rifle alongside another individual at a yet to be identified location.
Further investigations led to the discovery that the gang’s hideout was at Kona Mountain in Jalingo Local Government Area, where additional members of the syndicate were believed to be camped.
Troops conducted a follow-up operation at Kona Mountain on October 23, and the suspected leader of the gang, identified as Dahiru Idi (aka Yellow), was apprehended.
Upon interrogation, he confessed to the recent kidnapping of three individuals, from whom a ransom of N6 million was extorted before their release.
The gang leader also said the two AK-47 rifles used in their operations had been taken to another location by another gang member, Yakubu Dogo, in preparation for an upcoming operation.