BEVERLY HILLS, March 12, (THEWILL) – The newly appointed Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru has admitted that Nigeria had found itself embroiled in different crises requiring urgent intervention, even as he received criticism from the House of Representatives’ ad hoc committee set up to audit arms and ammunition procured by the Armed Forces.
In his absence, the COAS was represented by the Commandant, Army War College Nigeria, Maj.-Gen. Charles Ofoche, who tendered apologies on behalf of his principal.
However, the committee condemned Attahiru for failing to appear before it physically and failing to inform the committee that someone else would represent him.
The House Ad Hoc Committee held its first investigative hearing in Abuja on Friday to evaluate the purchase and use of ammunition and arms by the military and other security agencies.
In response, Ofoche apologized for the COAS’ absence, adding that the service chiefs were making efforts to salvage the country.
He said, “The country is embroiled in a lot of crisis, so they are moving around. And he thought he could make it down here this morning for this meeting, so the notice was quite short for me to come and represent him because he would have loved to do it personally and that is why there is no written note.”
Ofoche noted that his entourage came prepared and had all the information the lawmakers might need for the Army. He also noted that the government is a continuum, stressing that Attahiru was not the Chief of Army Staff from 2010, where the scope of panel’s probe begins. “So, it is the records we have here present that he will still refer to”, he stressed.
The House had on December 8, 2020, resolved to audit the arms and ammunition procured and deployed by Nigerian Armed Forces, especially to “investigate the quality and quantity of arms” in the last 10 years.
The House had also urged the Federal Government to review the policies, protocols and procedures for the purchase of arms, ammunition and related hardware by military and paramilitary agencies in the last 10 years.
In addition, the House urged the Federal Government to review the guidelines and systems for training officers and men of these security outfits, while asking it to appraise the armoury and weapons control mechanisms currently being implemented by the military and paramilitary agencies.
Those to be affected include the Nigeria Army, Navy and Air Force; Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Correctional Services, according to a motion unanimously adopted by the lawmakers, titled ‘Need to Review the Purchase, Use and Control of Arms, Ammunition, and Related Hardware by Military, Paramilitary and Other Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria.’
The committee had held its inaugural meeting with security and safety agencies in Abuja on February 11, 2021.
At the meeting were representatives of the National Security Adviser, security and service chiefs, Nigeria Police Force, Federal Fire Service, Independent Corrupt Practices (and Other Related Offences) Commission, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Central Bank of Nigeria, among others.
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