President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the immediate probe of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) over failed contract scams.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesin, said it was worrisome and disappointing that those entrusted with the security of the country were busy using proxies to siphon the national treasury, while innocent lives were wasted daily.
The charge followed an interim report of a 13-man committee set up by the Office of the National Security Adviser to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector from 2007 to date with a directive that all indicted persons be arrested and brought to book.
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Among other weighty allegations by the committee, the ex-NSA awarded failed contracts totaling N482bn.
Adesina said while the committee, which was inaugurated on August 31, had yet to complete its work, its interim report unearthed several illicit and fraudulent financial transactions.
As part of the findings, the presidential spokesman said the committee analysed interventions from some organisations that provided funds to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Headquarters, Army Headquarters, Naval Headquarters and Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, in both local and foreign currencies.
Adesina added: “The contracts, which were said to be for the purchase of four Alpha Jets, 12 helicopters, bombs and ammunition were not executed and the equipment were never supplied to the Nigerian Air Force, neither are they in its inventory.
“Even more disturbing was the discovery that out of these figures, two companies were awarded contracts to the tune of N350, 000,000.00; $1,661,670,469.71 and €9,905,477.00 alone.
“Additionally, it was discovered that the former NSA directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to transfer the sum of $132,050,486.97 and €9,905,473.55 to the accounts of Societe D’equipmente Internationaux in West Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America for un-ascertained purposes, without any contract documents to explain the transactions.”
He described the charges as extremely worrying, considering the fact that the interventions were granted within the same period that the Nigerian troops, fighting insurgency in the North-East, were in desperate need of support, military equipment and ammunition.
