$15bn fraud discovered in the Nigerian Military

The presidential panel setup by President Muhammadu Buhari through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to investigate the purchase of arms between 2007 and 2005 has discovered more fraud.

The panel, which has so far submitted two probe reports that led to the arrest and prosecution of several former and serving military officials, has learnt that the total amount involved in the arms deal fraud was $15 billion and not $2.1 billion as earlier believed.

Punch Newspapers is reprting that the $2.1 billion was used only for just one transaction.

A top official, privy to the probe, stated that the fraud uncovered in the army by the panel was enormous, saying that “The committee is still working. What they discovered in the Army is enormous.”

The source further stated that the president had ordered the prosecution of those indicted in the report first before publicising their names.

“The President has directed that we explore the option of prosecuting indicted persons immediately instead of first publicising their names, thereby giving some of them the leeway to escape justice.”

While stating that the panel was going to publicise some of its achievements at the anti-corruption summit in the UK, the source also said that the panel has began discussing with the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, on the prosecution of the indicted persons.