Is The $2.2 Billion Arms Deal Fraud Really A Propaganda?

This article is to put to rest the attempt by some opponent of the ongoing anti-corruption fight to label the $2.2billion Arms scandal a propaganda.

While some opponent of the #arms gate probe allege that the money involved is $300million, facts on ground shows otherwise.

The $322 million Diverted Abacha Loot
Firstly, let me clarify on the $322million(not $300million) Abacha loot.

The said Abacha's loot came in mid(and late) 2014 from the Principality of Liechtenstein($227million) and the State of Jersey in the Channels' Island.

Before the monies even came, the FG set up a three man inter-ministerial committee comprising of exNSA Sambo Dasuli, ex-justice minister Muhammed Adoke and ex-finance minister Ngozi Iwaela.
www.vanguardngr.com/2014/06/fg-receive-n37bn-abachas-loot-june-25/

The FG panel recommended that the money be used to purchase arms and on January 20, 2015, Ngozi Okonjo Iwaela sent a memo to President Jonathan to transfer $322 million to Sambo Dasuki which was approved.
Excerpt of the letter reads...

“Please find a request by the National Security Adviser (NSA) for the transfer of $300 million and £5.5 million of the recovered Abacha funds to an ONSA (Office of the National Security Adviser) operations account.

www.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/how-okonjo-iweala-diverted-n61-4bn-abacha-loot-to-nsa-report/

This was confirmed by NOI in her December 10, 2015 statement through her spokesperson Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu. Here is a quote in his statement

“Based on this, a decision was taken to deploy about $322m for the military operations, while the expected $700m would be applied to development programmes as originally conceived.

“Following the discussions and based on the urgency of the NSA’s memo, Dr Okonjo-Iweala requested the President to approve the transfer of the requested amount to the NSA’s Office for the specified purposes.”

www.punchng.com/arms-scam-i-transferred-322m-to-dasuki-says-okonjo-iweala/

I think this has been clarified that the $322 million was also earmarked for arms purchase. Let us see whether it was then entire money or a part of the whole.

The $2.2 Billion Arms Deal
After the sack of Sambo Dasuki as NSA in July 2015, the FG set up panel to investigate arms purchase from March 2007 to 2015 when Dasuki left as it was discovered that though the FG under Jonathan claimed to earmarked billions for arms, the army authorities(including former Chief of Defense Staff, Alex Badeh) were complaining of lack of arms to confront Boko Haram. Here is an excerpt of the committee finding

Findings revealed that between March 2012 and March 2015, the erstwhile NSA, Lt. Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) awarded fictitious and phantom contracts to the tune of N2,219,188,609.50; 1,671,742,613.58 dollars and 9,905,477.00 euros.

It stated that so far the total extra budgetary interventions collated by the committee was N643.8 billion while the foreign currency component was $2.2 billion.

www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/193398-%E2%80%8Bbuhari-orders-arrest-of-ex-nsa-dasuki-others-indicted-in-arms-contract-report.html

If you add the figures above, it will give an estimated total of $2.2billion. Also, the emboldened is clear enough to tell that the diverted arms money was from 2012 to 2015. While the $322 million is part of the entire arms money, it is not the ONLY money involved. Dasuki was appointed NSA in July 2012.

The panel also discovered that “The contracts, which were said to be for the purchase of four Alpha Jets, 12 helicopters, bombs and ammunition were not executed and the equipment were never supplied to the Nigerian Air Force, neither are they in its inventory.

Is The $2.2billion Arms Probe Still A Propaganda?
After reading the above, will someone still call the $2.2 billion arms probe a "propaganda"?

If you read all the statements of Sambo Dasuki, he never denied the total money involved. He merely said that all payment were approved by Goodluck Jonathan
http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/arms-contracts-payments-endorsed-by-ex-president-jonathan-dasuki/120239.html.

Even Jonathan's statement in the USA of not approving $2.2 billion at once does not invalidate the subject. Nowhere did anybody allege that the entire $2.2 billion came in one batch. It is the estimated cumulative of extra-budgetary amount on arms probe from 2012 to March 2015.


We are at a period where we have to choose between taking a position calling for the prosecution of alleged corrupt government officials and their allies, or standing behind the corrupt element to fight against the anti-corruption crusade. This is not about APC and PDP but about Nigeria. There is no sitting on the fence.

Since taking this noble position on the fight against corruption, I have been abused, insulted and called names by opponent of the corruption fight. Nevertheless, I shall not yield to blackmail nor cease from standing for justice. Justice must be served!

May God Bless Us All and Bless Nigeria