EFCC reacts to Monguno’s revelation on missing billions as NSA says he was quoted out of context
- Nigeria's anti-graft agency, EFCC, has said it deals with facts only, not possibilities
- The agency's spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said this when asked if the case of an alleged missing fund under Buratai and other ex-service chiefs will be investigated
- Monguno, the NSA, has made the allegation but later recanted, saying he was misquoted by the media
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reacted to the revelation of Maj Gen Babagana Monguno (retd) that a huge amount of money approved for arms purchase under the immediate past service chiefs cannot be accounted for.
Monguno, the National Security Adviser (NSA), made the revelation in an interview with BBC Hausa on Friday, March 12, Daily Trust reported.
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He was quoted to have said:
“It is not that we are not working to end the security challenge in the country. The president has done his own part and allocated huge amounts of money to purchase weapons, but they are yet to be here. We don’t know where they are.
“I am not saying that the past service chiefs have diverted the money, but presently we don’t know where the money is.”
EFCC speaks
Contacted over the development, EFCC's spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said he could not say whether or not the commission would investigate the immediate past service chiefs, Daily Trust added.
Uwujaren was reported to have said there was no fact before the EFCC to show that the ex-service chiefs mismanaged money meant for ammunition as alleged by the NSA.
He said:
“We don’t do projection. I say we deal with facts, not possibilities”.
Monguno says he was misquoted
Meanwhile, Monguno has denied alleging that money for the purchase of arms for the military was missing under the former service chiefs.
According to him, he was quoted out of context in the interview with the BBC Hausa service.
Buratai reacts
One of the ex-service chiefs, Tukur Buratai, former chief of army staff, has reacted to allegations that some funds could not be accounted for under his tenure.
Buratai, who spoke through his lawyer Osuagwu Ugochukwu on Friday, March 12, denied any wrongdoing.
Buratai also denied being mentioned in connection with the alleged missing funds just as he noted that Monguno has already denied.
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Meanwhile, in spite of being confirmed by the Senate after their nomination by President Buhari, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that the immediate past service chiefs should face International Criminal Court.
The PDP which slammed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Senate for clearing them for ambassadorial portfolios alleged that this was done despite reports of crime against humanity committed under their command.
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Nurudeen Lawal is a Legit.ng journalist passionate about fact-checking/verification journalism. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature-in-English from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. As Politics Editor, Nurudeen mostly writes on Nigeria’s political and socio-economic developments. He has attended different workshops, conferences and training on fact-checking and digital reporting, among others. Learn more about him on Twitter, @Nurudeen Lawal_
Source: Legit.ng
