Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has said the $1bn approved for defence procurement during his tenure as Army Chief was released to the Ministry of Defence.
He said the funds approved by the National Economic Council did not pass through his hands or the accounts of the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force.
Speaking at the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria conference in Abuja on Monday, Buratai described the allegations surrounding the funds as “political and malicious,” saying they first emerged during the 2019 election period when the opposition alleged that the money had been diverted for electoral purposes.
“The $1 billion was approved by the National Economic Council for defence procurement. Not a single dollar of that fund passed through my hands or through the accounts of the Nigerian Army, Navy, or Air Force. The funds were released to the Ministry of Defence, and the entire procurement process was handled by that ministry.
“The Army, Navy, and Air Force never had a single dollar from that fund to make procurement directives. I have described these allegations as political and malicious. They first surfaced during the 2019 election period, when the opposition alleged the funds had been diverted for electoral purposes-a claim the Federal Government publicly refuted. Yet the stain remained, attached to the Service Chiefs rather than the institution that managed the funds”, Buratai stated.
Buratai said the Federal Government publicly refuted the allegation at the time but lamented that the controversy continued to affect the reputation of service chiefs.
He faulted the ministry for publicly explaining how the funds were disbursed or how contracts were awarded.
