Dambazau, Ihejirika, Minimah indicted by Arms Probe Panel

The tension among former army chiefs and other top officers  continues as the Presidential Committee on Defence Equipment Procurement in the Nigerian Armed Forces prepares to submit its report to President Muhammadu Buhari in the coming days.

PREMIUM TIMES is reporting that an unnamed source close to the committee, which was set up by President Buhari to probe the procurement of arms, ammunition and equipment in the military from 2007 to 2015, said several top retired army officers were indicted.

The source, said the retired officers indicted include present minister of interior, Abdurrahman Bello Dambazau, the immediate past chief of army staff, Kenneth Minimah, and his predecessor, Azubuike Ihejirika.

Mr. Dambazau was specifically named as trying to suppress the report.

“The committee members are putting things together and will present its findings to the president in the next week or so,” our source said.

Premium Times’ source explained that the committee uncovered several things including the outright stealing of money meant for equipment for the army, inflated contracts, diversion of money for soldiers’ welfare, diversion of money for the rehabilitation of barracks and military facilities and many other corrupt practices.

In March 2016, the trio of Messrs. Dambazau, Ihejirika and Minimah had been summoned alongside 189 other retired and serving top army officers by the 13-member investigative committee is led by Mohammed Mongonu,  and predominantly made up of retired military officers.