Reps Vow To Investigate Alleged Missing $1bn Missing Arms' Funds

The House of Representatives has vowed to investigate the alleged missing $1bn funds meant to purchase arms for the Nigerian Army.

On Friday, controversy ensued after the National Security Adviser, (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (retd), alleged that $1bn funds were withdrawn from the Excess Crude Oil Account in 2018. The money was meant to purchase arms to tackle insurgency, and got missing during the tenure of the ex-service chiefs.

The House Ad Hoc Committee on the Need to Review the Purchase, Use and Control of Arms, Ammunition and Related Hardware by Military, Paramilitary and Other Law Enforcement Agency in Nigeria, in its reaction to the alleged missing fund, vowed to investigate the “missing” arms and ammunition for which the former service chiefs were allocated funds to acquire.

At its first investigation hearing on Friday in Abuja, where the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, was represented by the Commandant, Army War College Nigeria, Maj Gen. Charles Ofoche, the committee described the matter as sensitive.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Olaide Akinremi, in his opening remarks before the meeting wend behind closed doors, maintained that Nigerians were interested in the whereabouts of the funds and the arms and ammunition.

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Akinremi said, “Before I give you the floor, you may be aware of the news going round. I got that as breaking news this morning (Friday) also. It says it seems the money released to former service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari to buy weapons to fight terrorism, banditry and kidnapping is missing because the new service chiefs have confirmed to us that they didn’t see where the new weapons were purchased in their handover notes.

“Apparently, the money is missing, and the money in question is in trillions of naira. And we must investigate (it). So, with all of these going on, coupled with international interest especially, the Nigerians we represent, they are all watching. So, we need to handle this issue with care. We all agree that it is very, very sensitive.”

Also, the House Committee on Defence, chaired by Babajimi Benson, recently wrote to the Ministry of Defence to demand a breakdown of how the $1bn special security fund approved by the 8th National Assembly was spent, The Punch reported.

A prominent member of the committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Ministry of Defence had yet to reply to the Committee.

The source said, “On the $1bn, everybody in Nigeria knows that the procurement of the Super Tucano planes was a government-to-government transaction – Nigerian government with the United States government. The planes have not arrived because the Nigerian Air Force has to construct the appropriate base and other installations. That takes it to about $600m, which means about 60 per cent of the money is gone. The remaining 40 per cent; I don’t know if you saw some tanks that arrived sometime ago. They have been coming in piecemeal.

“About last week, we wrote to the ministry to give us an update on the arms, ammunition and equipment that they have taken delivery of and which ones were being expected, as well as those that international conspiracies have frustrated. Some laws were invoked against Nigeria.”

The source further disclosed that the committee was planning to visit the US to inspect the fighter jets before the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There has been a huge outcry on the $1bn. We were supposed to go to the US in November 2020, but the base in Atlanta was on red; they were not allowing visitors to come in,” he said.

“On the remainder, we are still waiting for the ministry to revert to us,” the source added.