GIFT ROBERTS
National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno has said that some funds meant for the acquisition of ammunitions to further strengthen the nation’s anti-terrorism fight got missing under the leadership of the immediate past service chiefs.
The ex-service chiefs are: the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
Monguno, who spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa on Friday, said that the new service chiefs have not seen any of the arms that the funds were supposedly acquired with.
“We don’t know where the money went to. The president has given out some money for equipment but they are yet to arrive.
“The president has done his best by ensuring that he released exorbitant funds for the procurement of weapons which are yet to be procured, they are not there. Now the president has employed new hands that might come with new ideas. I am not saying that those that have retired have stolen the funds, no. But the funds might have been used in other ways unknown to anybody at present.
“Mr President is going to investigate those funds. As we are talking with you at present, the state governors, the governors’ forum have started raising questions in that direction. $1 billion has been released and nothing seems to be changing. So, I assure you that the president will not take this lightly.
“The funds are nowhere to be found and the weapons have not been seen and the newly appointed service chiefs have declared that they have not seen the weapons. Maybe they are on the high seas, on their way coming from wherever they were purchased, from the US or Europe, but for now, there is nothing on the ground. I have not seen anything the service chiefs have also not seen anything.”
President Muhammadu Buhari in January appointed new service chiefs as a result of the continuous outcry from Nigerians he should introduce fresh blood in the armed forces to address insecurity in the country.
The new service chiefs are Major-General Leo Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General I. Attahiru as Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral A.Z Gambo as Chief of Naval Staff; and Air-Vice Marshal I.O Amao as Chief of Air Staff.