Niger Republic Citizen Defrauds Nigerian Army In Arms’ Deal
A Niger Republic citizen, Aboubakar Hima, is currently on
the wanted list of the Nigeria’s security agencies for defrauding the Nigerian
Army in a N166billion contract for arms supply.
Sahara Reporters observed that Hima, said to be Niger
Republic Fulani, is also being hunted by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission and is on the commission’s wanted list.
SaharaReporters gathered that the Niger Republic citizen,
the Chief Executive Officer of Societe D'Equipment Internationaux, SEI,
collected the sums for the purchase of the equipment which did not meet the
expected standards.
It was gathered that the suspect perpetrated the fraud in
the sums of $394million, €9.9million and N369million which added up to about
N166billion.
Since the advent of Under President Muhammadu Buhari’s
regime in 2016, the Nigerian military has got enormous budgets for arms and
ammunition, including the controversial $1billion deducted from the Excess
Crude Oil Account.
The disbursements of the money and other allocations to the
military for arms have been fraught with allegations of mismanagement by the
military’s top echelon.
SaharaReporters obtained the wanted notification by the EFCC
for Hima over the N166billion deal.
“The public is hereby notified that the person whose
photograph appears in this alert is wanted by the EFCC.
“Aboubakar Hima is wanted in a case of criminal conspiracy,
contract scam, misappropriation of public funds, money laundering and fraud to
the tune of over $394million, €9.9million and N369million.
“The suspect, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Societe
D'Equipment Internationaux, SEI, is alleged to have received the sums for the
purchase of equipment for the Nigerian Military. However, investigations have
revealed discrepancies in the supply of the equipment.
“Having failed to honour invitations from the Commission,
Hima is currently evading investigation, thus the need to declare him wanted.
“46-year-old Hima is a Nigerien citizen. The suspect speaks
French and Hausa Languages fluently but has limited English proficiency. His
last known address is Sapele Street, Garki II, Abuja,” the notice signed by
Tony Orilade, from the Media and Publicity division, said.
SaharaReporters had reported months back how $381million was
released to the army and navy out of the $1billion for the purchase of critical
equipment.
Earlier in the year, the National Security Adviser, Maj Gen
Babagana Monguno (retd,), had raised an alarm that the funds meant for the purchase
of arms to fight Boko Haram and other security challenges in the country were
missing.
Although under pressure, he had later recanted that he was
misquoted.
In an interview he granted to the BBC Hausa, Monguno had
said, “Mr President is going to investigate those funds. As we are talking with
you at present, the state governors, the Governors Forum have started raising
questions in that direction. $1billion has been released, and that has been
released, and nothing seems to be changing. So I assure you that the president
will not take this lightly.
“The funds are nowhere to be found and the weapons have not
been seen and the newly appointed service chiefs have declared that they have
not seen the weapons.”
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