Reps summon IGP, service chiefs, others over arms fund

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By Abba Gwale

The House of Representatives 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 Agencies in Nigeria has invited the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; service chiefs and other heads of paramilitary agencies.

The House Committee on Defence has met with the Ministry of Defence on the $1bn special security fund released by the Federal Government in 2017, part of which was used to pay for 12 Super Tucano fighter jets in the United States.

The security and service chiefs are to explain the procurement and deployment of arms and ammunition in their respective agencies.

Recall that during his interview with Hausa service of BBC on March 12, the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd.), said that $1bn funds meant to purchase arms to tackle insurgency during the ex-service chiefs’ tenure got missing.

Monguno said, “The President has done his best by approving huge sums of money for the purchase of weapons, but the weapons were not bought, they are not here. Now, he has appointed new service chiefs, hopefully, they will devise some ways.

He added that “I’m not saying the former service chiefs diverted the money, but the money is missing. We don’t know how, and nobody knows for now. I believe Mr President will investigate where the money went. I can assure you the President takes issues of this nature seriously.

“The fact is that preliminary investigation showed the funds are missing and the equipment is nowhere to be found. When the new service chiefs assumed office, they also said they didn’t see anything on the ground.”

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