Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media to Nyesom Wike—former Rivers State Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)—has reacted strongly to the arrest of two suspected arms traffickers in Katsina State.
According to a report shared by Premium Times on its X (formerly Twitter) account, the Katsina State Police Command apprehended two young men suspected of transporting deadly weapons. The suspects, identified as 25-year-old Abdulsalam Muhammad and 23-year-old Aminu Mamman, were intercepted while allegedly moving a large cache of arms from Jigawa State to Safana in Katsina.
Both men are said to reside in Baure Village, located within Safana Local Government Area. Upon their arrest, authorities recovered a significant quantity of military-grade weapons, including: One General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) with breach number Z8826, 1,063 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm AK-47 ammunition, 232 rounds of 7.62 x 69mm PKT ammunition.
Reacting to the development on his verified X handle, Lere Olayinka expressed skepticism over the common narrative that blames northern Nigeria’s insecurity solely on poverty. He questioned how individuals supposedly driven by poverty could afford such expensive and sophisticated arms without external support or sponsorship.
“They will still tell us POVERTY caused the insurgency in the North. Sebi poor people dey buy this kind of arms and ammunition,” Olayinka wrote, using a mix of English and Nigerian Pidgin.
His comments have stirred debate online, with some agreeing that the scale of insecurity and the quality of weapons being found suggest backing from powerful interests.
