Nigeria’s president has warned that weapons and ammunition used in the war in Ukraine are winding up in the hands of “terrorists” in the Lake Chad region of Africa.
President Muhammadu Buhari made the comments last week from the Nigerian capital of Abuja. According to a press release from his office, Buhari drew attention “to the increased number of arms, ammunition, and other weapons from the Russia and Ukraine war in the Lake Chad Basin.”
Buhari said that weapons were also coming from other areas in Africa’s Sahel region and from fighting in Libya. “Regrettably, the situation in the Sahel and the raging war in Ukraine serve as major sources of weapons and fighters that bolster the ranks of the terrorists in the Lake Chad Region,” he said.
The Nigerian leader said that arms “being used for the war in Ukraine and Russia are equally beginning to filter to the region.”
Buhari’s comments come amid a push from some Republicans in Washington for more oversight of the over $19 billion in weapons that the US has poured into Ukraine, concerns that Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) has dismissed as “Russian propaganda.”
Buhari’s comments were not the first indication that Western arms bound for Ukraine are ending up on the black market. Finland’s national law enforcement agency, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), warned in October that arms meant for Ukraine have wound up in the hands of criminal gangs in Finland. The NBI also said that weapons meant for Ukraine were also found in Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
If Russia does not start a war with Ukraine, this does not happen. It is hard to worry about someone stealing small arms while being shelled. It is also interesting that there is no mention of types of weapons.
It’s not hard for people dealing with assaults by Boko Haram to worry about those weapons. And you should be ashamed to have written this post.
Dude, GTFOH with that crap. There are many countries selling weapons all over the world and in Africa.
Did you just make your own conclusions from this article?
And you should be ashamed for your obvious hatred of Ukrainians and enjoying their suffering.
Well I’ve heard enough from you to recognize that I made the right choice weeks ago.
Exactly what my entirely uninterested, unaffected friends in Bay Area say. It’s all Russia’s fault, naughty naughty to invade. Nothing to do with hundreds of years of complex history and of course US early vow that “not one inch” east of Germany would be part of NATO (this per Gorbachev, BTW, among others). NATO has no goal beyond its institutional existence as entity as a fully-staffed bureaucracy, bristling with armaments, self-importance now that communism has ceased to exist. Oh, wait, I’m wrong: NATO is turning it’s eager eyes on China — is that actually a communist state or just a totalitarian fascism?
The countries east of Germany have the right to self defense. And joining NATO is the logical choice. If Russia does not like countries on its borders joining NATO, Russia should reevaluate their foreign polices. As for NATO promise of no expansion, there is no written agreement or treaty to that effect. If you know of one, post the link.
The US never made a written agreement; does reality matter here?
Most Americans don’t do history. It’s so old!
You need to actually read some history instead believing in a magic fairy tale that Russia just started a war for no reason.
I agreed, Ukraine invaded Russia on February 2022.
Well if you’re referring to the Azov crew when they bombarded the Donbass last February, congratulations.
And I suggest that you also read history. Just because Ukraine has historical ties to Russia does not give Russia the right to invade Ukraine.
It is also not unlikely that the Russians having a vested interest in doing so are turning a blind eye on their people selling weapons taken as war conquest to trouble spots around the world, if not actually doing so themselves. Though I’m fairly sure that especially in the early days weapons were flowing to corrupt Ukrainians very willing to do the same.
Please tell us, Is there anything that’s not Putin’s fault?
I did not claim Putin was at fault here, he might be but I didn’t claim he is.
NPR stated as fact that Putin wears the underwear of the old czars when he’s discussing strategy with his generals, and you can take that to the bank, ’cause CNN confirms it whenever NPR repeats it!
Or if the cold war had actually ended.
You’re getting boring. If if if ….
If the Russians had not intervened in the attempted genocide of ethnic Russians in the Donbas, the same people who blame Putin for everything would be mewling and bleating and maundering about the mass killing that would be taking place in Donetsk and Lugansk right now, if they even paid any attention to it.
Such a shock weapons intended for Ukraine end up — elsewhere? Oh my. Oversight? Surely that’s not needed, as the illustrious Sen. Adam Smith (D) WA proclaims, who further squints and points the finger at those disagreeing with him as “Putin’s puppets!”
Of course this was going to happen. Massive amount of weapons shipped to Ukraine, the most corrupt country in the Europe by the EU’s own report, with little oversight. And now a ton will end up in the hands of terrorist groups…
The most corrupt country in Europe is Russia:
https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/corruption-rank
Or at least, Russia has a higher index in the Global Corruption report.
The Pentagon admitted that oversight of where the weapons were going was a little lax.
Lax-ative being the operative word when it comes to our mighty desk warriors.
Who said you can’t make side bets in a craps table? Warlords also need guns and ammo.
The world needs photos.
No attention in the MSM is being paid to the continueing of a nasty little war in various places in Africa.
That is always the side effect of larger wars closer to home or with crucial national interests in play, not that I can say many of these conflicts got anywhere near the attention they deserved before the SMO.
Imagine that American weapons sold on the black market ending up in Africa and cash from America ending up in the pockets of American politicians.
FTX scandal is the tip of the iceberg.
While it could be true, they need to show proof. Provide it to the US Embassy for a forensic and confirmation.
The fact that there is no mention of the weapons type or serial numbers makes the report questionable.