From Molly Kilete, Abuja
SLEAZY details of how billions of naira meant for the procurement of arms and ammunition for the Nigerian Army was mismanaged by senior military officers have emerged.
The mind-boggling details are contained in the report of the Presidential Committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate illegal purchases of arms and ammunition for the counter terrorism operations in the North.
The report would be submitted to the president by the end of the month.
Daily Sun gathered that when the committee submits its report, identities of masterminds of the mindless scam would be made public.
The sodid conduct of the officers would be another chapter in the infamous Dasukigate involving a whop
ping $2.422 billion allegedly either misappropriated or stolen.
The amount comprises the money intended for the shoring up of the national security.
Worried by the complaints over inadequate and substandard arms in the armed forces despite the huge mount voted by the previous administration to equip the military, Buhari set up a committee to enquire into issue.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, while announcing the setting up of the committee, said the investigative committee’s mandate was to identify irregularities and make recommendations for streamlining the procurement process in the armed forces.
Daily Sun gathered that the panel unearthed how senior officers used phoney companies, proxies and unregistered and non-existent agencies to obtain huge sums of monies which they either stashed away in private accounts or used to buy choice property in highbrow areas in Abuja and other cities in Nigeria and abroad.
The committee was also said to have schockingly discovered how various companies, which were not registered with the army and the Ministry of Defence were awarded contracts to purchase arms.
Huge sums of monies were also said to have been traced to the bank accounts of some of the indicted officers.
“Ordinarily, those officers should not have that kind of money lodged in their account if they were not engaging in illegal deal,” a member of the team disclosed.
Besides, it was revealed that some of the contractors hired to supply the operation with fragmented jackets otherwise known as bulletproof vest supplied fake and substandard products.
A source close to the committee said all the officers invited cooperated and revealed roles they played in the arms purchase deal and offered to remit everything they had acquired illegally.
After the army, the committee would beam its searchlight on the Navy.
The committee headed by Air Vice Marshal J.O.N. Ode (rtd.) also had Rear Admiral J.A. Aikhomu (rtd.), Rear Admiral E. Ogbor (rtd.), Brigadier-General L. Adekagun (rtd.), Brigadier- Genera;l M. Aminun-Kano (rtd.), Brigadier-General N. Rimtip (rtd.), Commodore T.D. Ikoli, Air Commodore U. Mohammed (rtd.), Air Commodore I. Shafi’i, Colonel A.A. Ariyibi, Group Captain C.A. Oriaku (rtd.) and Mr. I. Magu form the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as members while Brigadier- General Y.I. Shalangwa was named as the secretary.