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, not the military, insisting that not a single dollar passed through his hands or the accounts of the Nigerian Army, Navy, or Air Force.
The Buratai $1bn arms funds Defence Ministry revelation came at the Defence Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (DECAN) Conference in Abuja on Monday, where the retired general sought to finally lay to rest one of the most persistent controversies of his tenure.
THE DENIAL
Buratai was unequivocal. “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,” he said .
“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”.
He 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.
“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”.
THE MISSING ACCOUNTABILITY
Buratai faulted the Ministry of Defence for failing to publicly explain how the funds were disbursed or how contracts were awarded.
“The ministry then, on its own, had not publicly explained how funds were disbursed or contracts awarded. Accountability must be properly located,” he said . He said the controversy festered because the institution that managed the funds remained silent while Service Chiefs absorbed criticism.
“The Ministry of Defence must own its procurement record. The $1 billion arms procurement controversy festered because the institution that managed the funds, the Ministry of Defence, remained silent while Service Chiefs absorbed criticism”.
THE TRANSPARENCY PROPOSAL
Buratai called for greater transparency in military procurement, recommending the establishment of a Defence Procurement Transparency Portal.
“I recommend a Defence Procurement Transparency Portal that publishes, within national security limits, broad categories of contracts awarded, contracting entities, and delivery timelines. When the media asks where the money went, the answer should come from the ministry that spent it, not from military officers who never touched it”.
He also proposed quarterly accountability bulletins summarising court-martial outcomes relating to human rights violations and operational conduct, provided the publications did not compromise the rights of accused personnel or ongoing military operations.
ON HUMAN RIGHTS
On allegations of human rights violations by members of the Nigerian security forces, Buratai said credible claims should be investigated and, where substantiated, prosecuted.
“I have always maintained that where credible allegations exist, they must be investigated and, where substantiated, prosecuted. The military is not above the law,” he said.
He acknowledged the need for the military to demonstrate that its disciplinary processes were credible, transparent and capable of addressing allegations at all levels.
WHY IT MATTERS
The $1bn arms controversy has dogged Nigeria’s military establishment for years. Buratai’s decision to address it publicly, with specific attribution of responsibility to the Ministry of Defence, is significant.
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If his account is accurate, it shifts the locus of accountability from the Service Chiefs to the civilian ministry that managed the funds. If it is disputed, the question of who is telling the truth becomes a matter for investigation.
Either way, the demand for a transparency portal is a concrete proposal that could prevent future controversies, if anyone acts on it. ValidViewNetwork reports that Buratai made the remarks at the DECAN Conference in Abuja.
