Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has said the $1 billion approved by the National Economic Council (NEC) for defence procurement during his tenure was released to the Ministry of Defence, insisting that neither he nor the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force received the funds through their accounts.
Buratai, who described allegations surrounding the funds as political and malicious, faulted the Ministry of Defence for failing to publicly explain how the money was disbursed and how contracts were awarded.
He called for greater transparency in military procurement, proposing the establishment of a defence procurement transparency portal to publish information on contracts awarded, contracting entities and delivery timelines, subject to national security considerations.
The former army chief said the controversy over the $1 billion fund had continued to affect the reputations of service chiefs, even though, according to him, the money was managed by the Ministry of Defence.
“The $1 billion was approved by the National Economic Council, NEC, for defence procurement. Not a single dollar of that fund passed through my hands or through the accounts of the Nigerian Army, Navy, or Air Force,” he said.
“The funds were released to the Ministry of Defence, and the entire procurement process was handled by that ministry. The Army, Navy, and Air Force never had a single dollar from that fund to make procurement directives.”
Buratai said the allegations first emerged during the 2019 general election, when the opposition accused the federal government of diverting the money for electoral purposes.
He maintained that the federal government publicly refuted the allegations at the time but lamented that the controversy persisted, with service chiefs bearing the reputational consequences.
“I have described these allegations as political and malicious. They first surfaced during the 2019 election period when the opposition alleged the funds had been diverted for electoral purposes, a claim the federal government publicly refuted.
“Yet the stain remained, attached to the service chiefs, rather than the institution that managed the funds,” he said.
Buratai argued that the controversy had persisted partly because the Ministry of Defence had not publicly explained the disbursement of the funds or the contracts awarded with the money.
“The ministry, since then on its own, had not publicly explained how the funds were disbursed or contracts awarded. Accountability must be properly located,” he said.
He insisted that responsibility for explaining the expenditure should rest with the institution that handled the procurement rather than military officers who, according to him, did not have access to the funds.
“The Ministry of Defence must own procurement record. The $1 billion arms procurement controversy festered because the institution that managed the funds, the Ministry of Defence, remained silent while service chiefs absorbed criticism,” he added.
To prevent similar controversies and strengthen public confidence in military procurement, Buratai proposed a transparency portal that would provide information on defence contracts within limits imposed by national security requirements.
He said the platform should publish broad categories of contracts awarded, the identities of contracting entities and expected delivery timelines.
“When the media asks where the money went, the answer should come from the ministry that spent it, not from military officers who never touched it,” he said.
The former army chief also called for greater transparency in the military’s disciplinary system, proposing quarterly accountability bulletins summarising court martial outcomes relating to human rights violations and operational conduct.
He said such disclosures should be designed to protect the rights of accused personnel and avoid compromising ongoing military operations.
On alleged human rights violations by members of the Nigerian security forces, Buratai maintained that credible allegations should be investigated and prosecuted where substantiated.
“I have always maintained that where credible allegations exist, they must be investigated and, where substantiated, prosecuted. The military is not above the law,” he said.
He added that the military needed to demonstrate that its disciplinary procedures were credible, transparent and capable of addressing allegations at every level.
Buratai also called for improved communication by the military and the Ministry of Defence, arguing that timely explanations of security operations could address public concerns and help ensure that media reports captured the full context of military activities.
In a related development, former Senate President and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Ahmed Lawan, called for a dedicated percentage of Nigeria’s revenue to be allocated to funding the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
Lawan said sustained funding was necessary to enable the military and other security institutions to acquire more operational platforms and strengthen their capacity to address the country’s security challenges.
He noted that the National Assembly had continued to support the Armed Forces and other security agencies through budgetary approvals.
“For us in the National Assembly, it is our duty to support the arm of government, to ensure that whatever resources are available and are required by the arm of government, we support that and we even give more,” he said.
Lawan, who said he had spent more than 27 years in the National Assembly, maintained that requests submitted by the executive for the Armed Forces and other security agencies had consistently received legislative approval.
“As at today, I am over 27 years as a member of the National Assembly, I have not seen any request sent by the executive for the armed forces and other security agencies that has not been approved. In fact, in most cases, they were always approved because we believe that security is first,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, stressed the need for intelligence-led military operations, technological investment and stronger cooperation among security institutions to tackle increasingly complex security threats.
Musa, who was represented by Air Commodore Steven Ogunmodede (retd.), his Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Relations, said terrorist groups, criminal networks and other adversaries were increasingly exploiting information, technology, financial systems and gaps in coordination to advance their activities.
He said an effective response required more than combat operations, highlighting the importance of timely intelligence, technological capabilities, sound planning and cooperation among relevant security institutions.
“Consequently, our response must combine effective combat operations with timely intelligence, technological capability, sound planning and cooperation among relevant security institutions,” he said.
According to the minister, intelligence-led operations enable security agencies to identify threats early, understand criminal networks, anticipate their intentions and take precise action before attacks occur.
He said technology could improve surveillance, reconnaissance, communications and analytical capabilities but stressed that its effectiveness depended on trained personnel, reliable systems, sound doctrine and professional judgement.
“Technology is a force multiplier; it does not replace the human judgement, discipline and professional competence upon which military effectiveness ultimately depends,” he said.
Musa added that the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces were pursuing approaches aimed at improving situational awareness, intelligence coordination and operational effectiveness.
He emphasised the need for continued innovation and stronger collaboration across the country’s security architecture, noting that no single institution possessed all the information or capabilities required to address contemporary security threats.
