The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru has said he is in the dark concerning the arms funds approved by the federal government.
Attahiru, who said he had yet to assume his current office when the procurement process was initiated, said his predecessors are in a better position to provide details of arms funds in question.
The COAS said this while appearing before the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Arms and Ammunition Purchase.
The committee had asked him to explain the contents of the Executive Summary on contracts executed by the Nigerian Army.
The committee, chaired by Hon. Olaide Akinremi, is reviewing the purchase, use, and control of arms, ammunition, and related hardware by the military, paramilitary, and other law enforcement agencies.
The COAS, however, said he could not do so because he did not personally authorize or award any contract.
“The period for which you wanted this report, having been summarized in the Executive Summary, explains whatever details you will require.”
Attahiru said the issues of procurement the legislature demanded answers for, “were done by specific individuals”.
He advised the lawmakers to invite them to clarify issues raised and to provide adequate answers.
On his inability to honour previous invitations, the Army chief said: “I was either in the North East, South East or South-South trying to ensure stability within Nigeria.”
The review is coming on the heels of the declaration by the National Security Adviser to President Buhari, Babagana Monguno, that funds for arms purchase were missing under former service chiefs.
The NSA said this two months ago during an interview with BBC Hausa.
Monguno would later said he was quoted out of context after the news had gone viral.
“We don’t know where the money went to. The president has given out some money for equipment but they are yet to arrive,” he said.
Monguno added, “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, that and that has been released, and nothing seem 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 ground. I have not seen anything the service chiefs have also not seen anything.”
In 2018, Buhari approved the release of $1 billion for the procurement of security equipment to fight Boko Haram insurgents.
There have, however, been complaints about lack of equipment and ammunition for the military that has been fighting the insurgency in the past 10 years.
In January, President Muhammadu Buhari replaced Gabriel Olonisakin, Tukur Buratai, Ibok Ekwe Ibas, Sadique Abubakar respectively as chiefs of defence, army, navy and air force.
Lucky Irabor took over as chief of defence staff; Ibrahim Attahiru, chief of army staff; Awwal Gambo, chief of naval staff; and Isiaka Amao, chief of air staff.
