Arms deal: ‘EFCC should also probe Buratai’

A group known as Save The Nation Movement (STNM) wants Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, to be included in the ongoing probe of abuse of funds meant for the procurement of arms.

Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to “carry out further investigation into the misconduct established against some retired and serving officers of the Nigeria air force and Nigerian army”.

Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, who conveyed Buhari’s directive in a statement, explained that the committee established to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the armed forces from 2007 to 2015, had recommended 20 serving and retired military personnel for probe.

They were listed as: “Air Chief Marshal AS ​Badeh (Rtd), Air Marshal ​MD ​Umar ​ (Rtd)Air Marshal​ Anice ​Amosu (Rtd), Maj-​Gen. ​ER ​Chioba (Rtd), AVM​​ IA​ Balogun (Rtd),AVM ​AG​ Tsakr ​ (Rtd), AVM​​ AG​ Idowu (Rtd), AVM ​AM ​Mamu, AVM ​OT ​Oguntoyinbo, AVM ​T ​Omenyi, AVM ​JB ​Adigun, AVM​​ RA ​Ojuawo, AVM ​​JA ​Kayode-Beckley, Air Cdre ​SA ​Yushau (Rtd), Air Cdre ​AO ​Ogunjobi, Air Cdre​ GMD ​Gwani, Air Cdre SO ​Makinde, Air Cdre AY ​Lassa​, Col ​​N ​Ashinze, and Lt Col. ​MS ​Dasuki (Rtd).”

But STNM wondered why Buratai, who was said to be the director of procurement between 2012 and 2015, was excluded.

“Major General Tukur Buratai was appointed director of procurement DHQ in 2012, a position he held until May 2015 that he was appointed force commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTNF), an appointment he held till he became chief of army staff,” Steven Chilaka, national secretary of the movement, said in a statement issued on Sunday.

“As director of public procurement at the DHQ, all procurements by the military between 2012 and May 2015 passed through his office. Our question is; how can you probe procurement of arms within this period without the involvement of Major General Buratai, the man who was the director of procurement?

“Could procurements have been made without his involvement during the period that he was director of procurement?

“Definitely, it won’t be funny if President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption is also selective against the military as it already appears to be against the political class and the president must look into this obvious case of selective probe as a matter of urgency.”