The Nigerian government has claimed that terrorists ravaging the country have been finding it hard to kill because AK-47 firearms and other weapons have become too costly for them to afford.
This assertion was made by Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, who maintained that there was a dramatic decline in terrorism-related deaths and the availability of AK-47 firearms in the country lately.
Ribadu made the statement while emphasising developments in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism at the High-Level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting in Abuja on Monday.
He further stated that the price of the AK-47 has risen from less than N1 million to more than N5 million over the last year.
“We are working, and I think we’ve done fairly well. One of the things that we have seen as an indication that things are beginning to look different is the cost of, for example, AK47.”
He added, “Last year, it used to be less than N1 million; in fact, it was going down to less than N500,000. Now it’s N5 million, which means it’s not available. We’re taking them out; we’re destroying them.
“A lot of difference is taking place in Nigeria. That is why I can assure you that in the last one year, we have reduced deaths as a result of violent crimes and the use of arms by over 90%.
“On average, we used to record 2,600 or so a month; now we do have less than 200. It’s an indication that we are getting results for the work done.”
“A lot of it people don’t really see, but behind a lot is ongoing. We salute our armed forces and security forces. Our governors are doing extremely well.”
