Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has called for the establishment of a Defence Procurement Transparency Portal to improve accountability in military spending and prevent misinformation surrounding defence contracts.
Speaking at the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria Conference in Abuja, Buratai said the platform should publish, within national security limits, broad categories of contracts awarded, contracting entities and delivery timelines.
According to him, such a mechanism would help prevent a recurrence of controversies similar to the $1 billion defence procurement fund approved during his tenure as Army Chief.
Buratai maintained that the funds, approved by the National Economic Council for defence procurement, were released to the Ministry of Defence and did not pass through him or the accounts of the Nigerian Army, Navy or Air Force.
“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.
He explained that the Ministry of Defence handled the procurement process and that the armed services neither received the funds nor issued procurement directives relating to them.
Describing allegations linking him and other Service Chiefs to the funds as “political and malicious”, Buratai said the claims first emerged during the 2019 election period when opposition figures alleged that the money had been diverted for electoral purposes.
He noted that although the Federal Government publicly refuted the allegations, the controversy continued to affect the reputation of Service Chiefs.
“The Ministry of Defence must own procurement records,” Buratai said, arguing that the controversy persisted because the ministry had not publicly explained how the funds were disbursed or how contracts were awarded.
“When the media asks where the money went, the answer should come from the ministry that spent it, not from military officers who never touched it,” he added.
Buratai also proposed the publication of quarterly accountability bulletins summarising court-martial outcomes related to human rights violations and operational conduct, provided such disclosures do not compromise the rights of accused personnel or ongoing military operations.
On allegations of human rights abuses by security personnel, the former Army Chief said credible claims should be investigated and prosecuted where established.
“I have always maintained that where credible allegations exist, they must be investigated and, where substantiated, prosecuted. The military is not above the law,” he said.
He added that the military must demonstrate that its disciplinary processes are credible, transparent and capable of addressing misconduct at all levels, while improved communication by the military and the Ministry of Defence would help provide context for security operations and address public concerns.
