Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and its UK ally, Transparency International Defence & Security of UK on Thursday welcomed the plan return of about $8.9 million siphoned by some corrupt Nigerian officials from funds allocated for the procurement of arms and equipment for the military to fight Boko Haram insurgency.
The Royal Court in Jersey, a British Crown Dependency, last week ruled on the recovery of the funds as they were obtained illegally by Nigerian officials in 2014.
Instead of using it for legitimate purpose of procuring arms and military equipment for the country, the court said the funds were moved out of Nigeria to a bank account in Jersey for other purposes.
Again, he court said the true source of the funds was obscured through the use of foreign bank accounts and unknown shell companies for the ultimate benefit of family members of Nigeria’s former ruling party.
“Nigeria received an ‘E’ rating in Transparency International Defence & Security’s Government Defence Integrity Index, indicating a very high risk of corruption.
“Our assessment from 2018 and 2019 showed Nigeria still faces considerable corruption risks across its defence institutions, with extremely limited controls in operations and procurement. Josie Stewart, Head of Transparency International Defence & Security, said.
While welcoming the Royal Court’s decision to seize the misappropriated funds and begin the process of returning them to the people of Nigeria, Stewart said rather than supporting the security forces fighting Boko Haram, the money was diverted to enrich the country’s ruling class.
He said the case underscored the pervasive risks of corruption in the defence sector, where the secrecy and complexity inherent in international arms deals, coupled with the large amounts of money at stake, create an environment ripe for abuse of office.
“It is incumbent on the Jersey authorities to return these funds openly and accountably to avoid them being stolen again. The successful return of these assets to the people of Nigeria will not only serve justice, but also highlight the critical need for greater transparency in the global arms trade,” he said.
The Executive Director of CISLAC/Transparency International Nigeria, Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, said while the group wholeheartedly welcome the decision, it was hopeful that when repatriated, the funds would be judiciously utilised in improving the living standards of common Nigerians.
“We find it disturbing that that money, rather than supporting the security forces fighting Boko Haram, was diverted to enrich the country’s ruling class.
“CISLAC, on this note, calls on the Nigerian Government to strengthen the procurement processes in the defence and security sector through enhanced transparency and accountability, regular reviews as well as independent auditing.
“We also call on relevant legislative Committees in the National Assembly and Civil Society to galvanise external oversight of the Defence and Security through regular tracking and scrutiny of budgetary allocation, appropriation, implementation and procurement activities.”
