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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Nigerian theatre commander traces terrorists’ weapons to post-Libya arms proliferation |
| 2026-07-25 |
Text: Nigerian Theatre Commander Traces Terrorists’ Weapons to Post-Libya Arms Proliferation, Says Nigeria Strengthens Border Security By Zagazola Makama The Theatre Commander, Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA (JTF NW OPFY), Major General W.B. Idris, has attributed the proliferation of sophisticated weapons in the hands of terrorists and bandits across Nigeria to the collapse of Libya, saying the resulting flow of illicit arms across the Maghreb and Sahel continues to fuel insecurity in the region. The commander made the remarks on Thursday during an interactive session with defence correspondents at the Headquarters of Operation FANSAN YAMMA in Gusau, Zamfara State, while responding to questions following a comprehensive operational briefing on the command’s activities. Addressing the question of how terrorists continue to acquire sophisticated weapons despite ongoing military operations, Major General Idris said the collapse of Libya created one of the largest illicit arms trafficking networks in Africa, with weapons finding their way into the hands of terrorist organisations, transnational criminal groups and other violent actors operating across the Sahel. “It is a well-known fact that the proliferation of arms in the Maghreb region became much worse after the fall of Libya. Most of these weapons eventually found their way into the hands of terrorists and criminal elements that are determined to destabilise countries across the region, including Nigeria,” he said. The Theatre Commander explained that the challenge extends beyond Nigeria’s borders, stressing that the country’s security architecture has increasingly adopted a regional approach to counter the transnational nature of terrorism. According to him, the Armed Forces of Nigeria have strengthened operational collaboration with neighbouring countries through intelligence sharing, coordinated border patrols and joint security initiatives aimed at preventing the movement of terrorists, weapons and logistics into Nigerian territory. He disclosed that troops under Operation FANSAN YAMMA work closely with security forces from the Republic of Niger along the extensive Nigeria-Niger border stretching through Sokoto and adjoining operational sectors. Similarly, he noted that troops under Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD maintain active security collaboration with forces of the Republic of Benin to secure Nigeria’s western border and deny criminal elements freedom of movement across international boundaries. More at the link |
| Posted by:badanov |