Former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai, has said the $1 billion approved for defence procurement during his tenure was released to the Ministry of Defence rather than the Nigerian Army, Navy or Air Force.
Buratai said the National Economic Council approved the funding and that the ministry managed the procurement process. He maintained that none of the money passed through his hands or the accounts of the three services, distancing himself and other service chiefs from allegations surrounding its use.
He described the allegations as politically motivated, saying they first emerged during the 2019 election period when opposition figures claimed the funds had been diverted for electoral purposes. According to Buratai, the Federal Government publicly rejected that claim, but the controversy continued to damage the reputation of the service chiefs.
The former Army chief criticised the Ministry of Defence for failing to publicly explain how the money was disbursed or how contracts were awarded. He argued that questions about the expenditure should be answered by the institution that controlled the funds and maintained the procurement records.
To improve transparency, Buratai proposed a defence procurement portal publishing broad categories of contracts, the companies involved and delivery timelines, subject to national security restrictions. He also recommended quarterly accountability bulletins summarising court-martial outcomes involving human rights violations and operational misconduct, while protecting defendants’ rights and ongoing operations.
Buratai said credible allegations against military personnel should be investigated and prosecuted where substantiated. He added that military disciplinary procedures must demonstrate their ability to address misconduct at every level, while clearer communication would help the public understand security operations and accountability measures.
Former Senate President and Senate Committee on Defence Chairman, Senator Ahmed Lawan, called for a dedicated share of national revenue to fund the armed forces and other security agencies. He said the National Assembly had consistently supported security funding requests through budgetary approvals, stressing the importance of providing equipment and operational resources.
In separate remarks, Defence Minister Gen. Christopher Musa said Nigeria’s security response must combine combat operations with timely intelligence, technology, planning and cooperation. Represented by retired Air Commodore Steven Ogunmodede, his Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Relations, Musa said early threat detection and a clearer understanding of hostile networks could help prevent attacks.
The minister said technology could improve surveillance, communications and analysis, but its effectiveness depended on trained personnel, reliable systems and sound professional judgment. He also called for stronger coordination among security institutions, noting that no single agency possessed all the information or capabilities needed to address increasingly complex threats.
