The Presidency said that no misappropriation of funds meant for procurement of arms for counter-terrorism operations could have occurred under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu stated this on Friday while reacting to comments by the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd).
Monguno had said in an interview with BBC Hausa that funds earmarked for the procurement of arms under the immediate-past service chiefs could not be accounted for.
The immediate-past service chiefs are: Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok- Ette Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar(retd.).
According to him, the president will soon launch an investigation to unravel the mystery of the missing funds.
“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,” Monguno said.
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Reacting on Channels Television‘s ‘Politics Today’, Garba Shehu said that Monguno was misquoted.
“About the $1bn taken from the Excess Crude Account with the consent of state governors used for military procurements, I want to assure you that nothing of that money is missing.
“The reference by it in the interview of the BBC Hausa Service by the National Security Adviser has been misconstrued and mistranslated.
“NSA made two critical points –one is that we don’t have enough weapons which is a statement of facts; and two procurements made have not been fully delivered.
“At no point did the NSA say that money has been misappropriated and that no arms is seen. They have not been delivered, that is correct; these are things you don’t get off the shelves,” Garba Shehu said.