• Ogunsanwo: let’s wait for probe outcome
Foreign affairs experts yesterday reflected on the involvement of Turkiye in the importation of illicit arms into the country.
According to them, a thorough investigation should be carried out to identify the role of the Turkiye government in the illegal act.
Those who spoke to our reporters last night are former Nigeria Ambassador to Belgium and a global affairs analyst, Paul Ejime and former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olukunle Bamgbose.
Ejime urged security agents to diligently unravel those behind the importation of the seized arms and ammunition as well as the origin to serve as a deterrent to others.
He warned that they were indications of heightened insecurity.
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The former Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) official noted that security agents should be lauded for the seizures.
Ejime said the seizures might lead to those behind the proliferation of arms and ammunition in the country.
“Those behind the importation must be arrested and made to face the law to serve as a deterrent to others.
“It’s one to hear about the seizures and it’s another thing to arrest the perpetrators to face the maximum punishment in accordance with the law to serve as a deterrent and also curtail the proliferation of such arms and ammunition in the country and sub-region,” Ejime said.
He called on security agents to look beyond Turkiye, suggesting that another country might be the origin of the arms and ammunition.
Bamgbose called on the Federal Government to investigate the level of involvement of the originating country in the arms saga.
He said: “I want to doubt if the Turkish government would want to do anything that would damage the relationship between both countries.
“The Turkish government may not know about the arm, depending on how those behind it package it.
“So, there is a high possibility that the government of Turkey does not get to know about it.
“The best thing would be for our government to find how such a large cache of arms could leave Turkey without the knowledge of the authorities.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Nigeria in Turkey should investigate to know how culpable the Turkish government is in the matter.
“The government can address the issue from two perspectives.
“The Foreign Ministry to find out how such armament could leave Turkey for Nigeria without the knowledge of the Turkish customs and if the latter was aware, what is the motive.
“Two, the implications for Nigeria’s internal security.
“I think the government should make concerted efforts to find out the real importer of the armaments and take appropriate punitive measures.”
Former Nigeria Ambassador to Belgium, Luxemburg and the European Union (EU) Prof. Alaba Ogunsanwo, said a lot of questions were still begging for answers.
He said Nigerians like him would like to know the suspects behind the importation, whether they are businessmen or politicians, and their intentions – whether to overthrow the government or to sell the arms for profits, among others.