FG disbands arms probe panel

The presidential panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to probe arms procurement between 2007 and 2015 has been disbanded, Sunday PUNCH learnt exclusively on Saturday.

It was gathered that among other reasons, the panel, which uncovered a $15bn fraud in arms procurement, was scrapped because government believed it had outlived its usefulness.

Our correspondent learnt that before its dissolution, the panel had begun moves to investigate the tenure of the present National Security Adsiver, Babagana Monguno, as the Chief of Defence Intelligence between July 2009 and September, 2011.

The panel had submitted its first interim report in November 2015 while it presented the second report in January 2016 following which Buhari ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate 18 serving and retired military officers, mainly from the Air Force.

Sunday PUNCH’s investigation revealed that the panel, which has AVM J.O.N. Ode (retd.) as the chairman, was dissolved by the NSA.

A top government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the panel was asked to hand over to the EFCC.

The source said the anti-graft commission had already taken over the assignment.

When asked why the panel was dissolved, the source said the NSA who set up the committee was of the view that it had run its course.

“The NSA is of the view that they have run out of time. You know they have a time frame and he said they wanted to perpetuate themselves. And you know they have a budget and have been drawing money,” the source said.
Punch, February 19, 2017

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