The Nigerian Navy has disowned a statement made by Commodore Jamila Abubakar Malafa indicting Chadian soldiers.
Malafa, an international maritime lawyer and Navy’s first female Commodore, spoke on Monday at a public hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence.
Abubakar had during the public hearing said arms donated to some African countries end up in Nigeria, adding that some Chadian army officers sell the guns in black market for as low as $20 when they are broke.
She was said to have represented the Chief of Naval Staff, Awwal Gambo, at the hearing.
However, in a statement on Tuesday, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Navy, Commodore Suleman Dahun, said although Abubakar presented the position of the Navy on the proposed Act, her comments on small arms trafficking were unauthorised and personal.
The statement reads partly, “During the hearing on this bill, the representative of the Nigerian Navy duly presented the position of the Service on the proposed Act but went ahead to make some unauthorised, personal comments on the issue of trans-national trafficking of small arms and light weapons.
“This is as it relates to neighbours with which Nigeria maintains robust diplomatic security relationships/collaborations; a personal opinion that is at variance with the position of the NN.
“The NN wishes to categorically dissociate itself from the view of the senior officer. The NN appreciates the indelible contributions of our regional partners/neighbours in the fight against small arms and light weapons trafficking.
“Pertinently, effective and sustained regional cooperation towards ensuring maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea is a key priority of the NN.
“Against this background, the Service acknowledges the regional security efforts of our neighbouring countries within the existing frameworks of bilateral and multilateral cooperation and commits to working assiduously to strengthen these arrangements.”
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