$1bn Arms funds never passed through my hands – Buratai

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has said the $1bn approved for defence procurement during his tenure was released to the Ministry of Defence and did not pass through his hands or the accounts of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Buratai made the clarification on Monday at a conference organised by the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria in Abuja, describing allegations that the funds were diverted as “political and malicious”.

He said the National Economic Council approved the money for defence procurement, but the Ministry of Defence handled the funds and the entire procurement process.

According to him, the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force did not receive any portion of the money to issue procurement directives.

“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.

Buratai traced the controversy to the 2019 election period, when opposition figures allegedly claimed that the funds had been diverted for electoral purposes. He said the Federal Government publicly refuted the allegation at the time, but the controversy continued to affect the reputations of service chiefs.

He faulted the Ministry of Defence for failing to publicly explain how the funds were disbursed and contracts awarded, insisting that accountability should rest with the institution that managed the money.

“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,” he said.

According to the Punch, Buratai called for greater transparency in military procurement, proposing a defence procurement transparency portal that would publish general information on contracts awarded, contracting entities and delivery timelines, subject to national security restrictions.

He also recommended quarterly accountability bulletins summarising court-martial outcomes involving alleged human rights violations and operational misconduct, provided the disclosures did not undermine the rights of accused personnel or compromise military operations.

On human rights allegations against security personnel, the retired army chief maintained that credible claims must be investigated and, where substantiated, prosecuted.

“The military is not above the law,” he said, adding that transparent and credible disciplinary processes were essential to public confidence.