Insurgency: Monguno cry out, says billions approved for weapons purchase missing

Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno on Friday, revealed that funds approved for purchase of weapons by Buhari administration was missing.

The National Security Adviser, who spoke to BBC Hausa and which was monitored by our correspondents said the new Service Chiefs upon assumption of office cannot access weapons the ex-Service Chiefs ought to have purchased.

Their predecessors took heavy budgets throughout their six years tenure for arms purchase to tackle Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgent.

Soldiers in front line battle with insurgents and bandits have often complained of the lack of sophisticated weapons to tackle criminal elements.

Monguno in an interview lamented the lack of sophisticated weapons as responsible for government’s inability to tackle insurgents.

He said: “It is not that we are not working to end the security challenge in the country. The president has done his own part and allocated huge amount of money to purchase weapons, but they are yet to be here. We don’t know where they are.”

“I am not saying that the past Service Chiefs have diverted the money, but presently we don’t know where the money is.”

Monguno expressed optimism that President Muhammadu Buhari would investigate the circumstances that surrounded billions that were released for arms purchases.

According to him, Nigerian Governors’ Forum is also raising concern over the whereabout of fund released for arms purchases.

“I can’t say the money was stolen but we didn’t see anything and even the new Service Chiefs said they didn’t see the weapons. It is possible the weapons are on their way coming. Maybe from America, England and other places but as at now, I didn’t see anything and the Service Chiefs too didn’t see any weapons too.”

He said President Buhari directed the new Service Chiefs to end insurgency within a short period of time, adding that the president is committed to ending insecurity.

On whether the federal government will dialogue with bandits, the retired Major General said “You can only dialogue with people that stick to promise and will not deceive people and the government. Those people are not in good position to dialogue with them because they are not worth it. People are insisting we must dialogue while they are not good people that you can dialogue with. They only want to continue killing people and government will not tolerate that.”

The ex-Service Chiefs who have been appointed and confirmed as non-career ambassadors are: ex-Chief of Defence Staff, Abayomi Olonisakin; former Chief of Army Staff; Tukur Buratai, former Chief of Naval Staff; Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas; and former Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar.