Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (retd.), the former Chief of Army Staff, has dismissed claims of handling the controversial $1bn arms procurement fund, describing allegations that the funds were diverted for political purposes as “political and malicious.”
The retired army chief, while speaking at a conference organised by the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria in Abuja, insisted that the money was managed by the Ministry of Defence and never passed through his hands or the accounts of the Nigerian Army, Navy or Air.
The retired general said the National Economic Council approved the $1bn for defence procurement, but the Ministry of Defence controlled the funds and managed the procurement process.
“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.
Buratai said the military service chiefs were unfairly criticised over the controversy, even though the ministry managed the money and awarded the contracts.
He explained that the allegations came up during the 2019 general election, when opposition leaders accused the government of using the funds for election purposes.
He said the Federal Government denied the allegations, but the controversy still damaged the reputations of the military chiefs because the institution in charge of the funds did not provide enough explanation.
“The ministry then, on its own, had not publicly explained how funds were disbursed or contracts awarded. Accountability must be properly located,” he said.
The former army chief urged the Ministry of Defence to explain how it spent the funds and which contracts it awarded, while respecting national security limits.
He suggested creating a Defence Procurement Transparency Portal to share details about defence contracts, contractors, and delivery schedules. He believes that more transparency would help rebuild public trust in military procurement.
“The $1bn arms procurement controversy festered because the institution that managed the funds, the Ministry of Defence, remained silent while Service Chiefs absorbed criticism,” Buratai said.
“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.”
His comments come amid persistent concerns over transparency in Nigeria’s defence spending, as the country continues to battle insurgency, terrorism, banditry and other security threats.
Buratai also called for quarterly accountability bulletins detailing the outcomes of court-martial proceedings involving alleged human rights violations and misconduct during military operations.
He said such disclosures should protect the rights of accused personnel while ensuring that sensitive operational information was not exposed.