By our reporter| The National Security Adviser, Babagana Mohammed Monguno on Friday said some funds meant for the purchase of arms to strengthen the country’s anti-terror war got missing under the leadership of the immediate past service chiefs.
The ex-service chiefs are Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin (retd.); Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.); Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas (retd.); and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (retd.).
The NSA, who made the disclosure in an interview with BBC Hausa on Friday, said President Buhari will investigate what happened to the funds.
He said, “No one knows what happened to the money but by God’s grace, the president will investigate to find out whether the money was spent and where the arms went.”
“It is not that we are not working to end the security challenge in the country. The president has done his own part and allocated huge amount of money to purchase weapons but they are yet to be here. We don’t know where they are.”
“I am not saying that the past Service Chiefs have diverted the money, but presently we don’t know where the money is.”
On whether investigation has commenced on the issue, the NSA said: “I am sure the President will investigate this. As I am talking to you now, even the Nigerian Governors’ Forum has started questioning where the money is. So I assure you that the President is not playing with anything that has to do with the people.
The NSA further stated that the new service chiefs have not seen any of the arms that the funds were supposed to be used to procure.
“I can’t say the money was stolen but we didn’t see anything and even the new Service Chiefs said they didn’t see the weapons. It is possible the weapons are on their way coming. Maybe from America, England, and other places but as at now, I didn’t see anything and the Service Chiefs too didn’t see any weapons too, ” he said.
He said President Buhari directed the new Service Chiefs to end insurgency within a short period of time, adding that the president is committed to ending insecurity.
On whether the federal government will dialogue with bandits, the retired Major General said “You can only dialogue with people that stick to promise and will not deceive people and the government. Those people are not in good position to dialogue with them because they are not worth it. People are insisting we must dialogue while they are not good people that you can dialogue with. They only want to continue killing people and government will not tolerate that.”
He added that government has to show them that it is strong enough to fight them.
President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Buratai, Olonisakin, Ibas, and Abubakar in July 2015 as service chiefs but they were replaced in January 2021.
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