The Nigerian government has been obliged to buy black-market weapons to fight Boko Haram because the West refused to give it any military help, a prominent member of Nigeria's ruling party says.
Nuhu Ribadu, a former Nigerian anti-corruption czar who is now a star candidate for the ruling party in a northern state where the Islamist radical militia has wreaked havoc, said Nigeria was "desperate" for military supplies and had to turn to the black market because Western governments were unwilling to help.

"The world might regard this as illegal, but we were being stopped from getting help and our people were being slaughtered," Mr. Ribadu told The Globe and Mail last Friday.
"We were being wiped out, and the world didn't give a damn. Nigeria was forced into the black market."
The United States and other countries, including Canada, had promised to provide surveillance equipment to help Nigeria search for more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram last year, but they broke their promises, Mr. Ribadu said.
"They did not give us anything," he said. "It was just niceties."
Suspicions of black-market weapons-buying have been floating around Nigeria since last September, when South Africa detained a mysterious Nigerian plane carrying $9.3-million (U.S.) in cash. Media reports at the time said the money was intended for illicit arms purchases.
Mr. Ribadu acknowledged that Nigerian authorities had "gotten into trouble" when they shopped for weapons on the black market, including in South Africa. "They were looking for tools of war from anywhere in the world."
This week, South African media reported that 100 private "military experts" from South Africa are heading to Nigeria on a contract with the Nigerian government to train its soldiers to fight Boko Haram. The South African government responded by describing the former South African soldiers as "mercenaries" who would be arrested when they returned home.
Mr. Ribadu said he could not give details of Nigeria's black-market arms purchases. "The world arms market is a very murky one," he said. "The arms could come from anywhere in the world."
He said the black-market weapons have helped Nigerian troops regain control of several towns Boko Haram had captured in Adamawa, the state where he is running for governor as the candidate of the ruling People's Democratic Party.
"They didn't have enough bullets, and now they have enough," he said. "There are some helicopter gunships that they have bought recently. I have heard them moving around."
The United States and other Western countries have been reluctant to send military aid to Nigeria because of concerns about corruption and human-rights abuses by Nigeria's army. Human rights groups have alleged that the Nigerian military routinely commits atrocities in the northeast of the country.
Last August, for example, Amnesty International said it had seen "gruesome footage" of Nigerian soldiers slitting the throats of detainees and dumping them in mass graves.
But these allegations of human rights violations have demoralized the army and indirectly helped Boko Haram, according to Mr. Ribadu.
On Friday, the African Union endorsed a plan to create a West African task force of 7,500 troops to fight Boko Haram. Soldiers from Chad are already reported to be active in battling the Islamist militants near Nigeria's border with Cameroon.
In the past, Nigeria rejected the idea that it needed foreign military help. But now it seems to have accepted the military support from its West African neighbours. "It's only fair and right that others should come in and support us," Mr. Ribadu said. "We never got the assistance that Iraq and Afghanistan are getting." http://www.maxgist.com/2015/02/ribadu-nigeria-buys-black-market.html#more

And I ask; will this country be nuked if she starts her own arms industry?? Is it not a shame that we even import bullets?? Something we can easily produce here?? Who are those that craft our defence policies?? How is it that countries like Sudan and Ethopia can produce these things locally but we can't?? Even in these jumpy times, guys at defence headquarter don't feel the urgency of setting up factories, research centers and 'reverse engineering' schools to produce ATLEAST bullets and grenades?? So if we have a major military confrontation with a serious army and almighty America refuses to sell ORDINARY bullets to us, we are screwed? This country is on auto pilot yet you have some fat tossos fouling the environment with their presence, while pretending to be leading.

klem93:

The United States and other Western countries have been reluctant to send military aid to Nigeria because of concerns about corruption and human-rights abuses by Nigeria's army. Human rights groups have alleged that the Nigerian military routinely commits atrocities in the northeast of the country.
Last August, for example, Amnesty International said it had seen "gruesome footage" of Nigerian soldiers slitting the throats of detainees and dumping them in mass graves.
But these allegations of human rights violations have demoralized the army and indirectly helped Boko Haram, according to Mr. Ribadu.

CONCERN about CORRUPTION and human rights abuses! What has GEJ government done to correct this impression? Has he investigated the claims and made the findings available to them? How many of those service chiefs and politicians cohorts involved are currently cooling off in Kirikiri ? What happened to the case of our newly found friend-Russia? Has she too decided to have nothing to do with our government? Why does everyone afraid of associating with us? There are many whys and hows

Forget about western power sponsoring BH bla bla. Afterall no section of perceived enemy has not been accused of sponsoring BH. Is it not absurd government herself doesn't know who they really are and their sponsors.

If this is truly coming from Ribadu who is a PDP member, GEJ is finished. Black market arm deal is illegal that no government will want to be identified with it. Ribadu is summarily exposing his boss which may eventually backfire to hit him hard.

The truth is the present government can not give account on its spending on the war against Boko Haram as many outside the frontline have enriched themselves from the war! It is so sad bt true that this menace called Boko Haram is some people's ATM!

^Are you sure you're not high on wet supporter of APC?

Anything to annihilate these animals abeg.

Did OBJ regime set up any such factories? At least GEJ has done his best to open new factories that manufacture bullet proof vests, armoured cars and other military hard wares... Let's be hopeful, one day we shall manufacture our own air crafts!!!

Good

One day we shall build ours.

Truth is that foreign governments are worried because weapons are being diverted to the ND. Let government change to one they see as responsible and arms will flow in

ziccoit:


CONCERN about CORRUPTION and human rights abuses! What has GEJ government done to correct this impression? Has he investigated the claims and made the findings available to them? How many of those service chiefs and politicians cohorts involved are currently cooling off in Kirikiri ? What happened to the case of our newly found friend-Russia? Has she too decided to have nothing to do with our government? Why does everyone afraid of associating with us? There are many whys and hows

Forget about western power sponsoring BH bla bla. Afterall no section of perceived enemy has not been accused of sponsoring BH. Is it not absurd government herself doesn't know who they really are and their sponsors.

If this is truly coming from Ribadu who is a PDP member, GEJ is finished. Black market arm deal is illegal that no government will want to be identified with it. Ribadu is summarily exposing his boss which may eventually backfire to hit him hard.

He promoted and gave them national awards...