News
Navy, Air Force not happy with Army-led Boko Haram operations – Ex-CDS Irabor
Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd) says the coordination of Operation Lafiya Dole at some point was handled by Army Headquarters, causing unease among the Navy and Air Force leadership.
Irabor made the disclosure in his book titled “Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum.”
“In contrast to the provisions of the NDP, the coordination of the operation was undertaken by Army HQ at some point, such that the leadership of the other services (navy and air force), whose forces contributed to the operation felt uncomfortable with such an arrangement,” he said.
The ex-CDS also disclosed that at a stage in the fight against Boko Haram, the military resorted to using abandoned and dilapidated vehicles, including those from the Nigerian Civil War, due to poor equipment conditions.
The revelation comes against the backdrop of past incidents in which soldiers were sanctioned for complaining about poor equipment.
In 2014, several soldiers deployed in Borno State were court-martialled after protesting inadequate weapons and logistics to confront Boko Haram fighters.
Some of them were sentenced to death for mutiny, though the sentences were later commuted.
Irabor, who was the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole (the operation against Boko Haram in the North East) between March 2016 and May 2017, stated that the equipment situation in the theatre was “deplorable,” prompting commanders to improvise in order to sustain operations.
He specifically said they scavenged dilapidated and abandoned vehicles to strengthen their fighting capability.
“It is worth noting that at a particular stage of operation, the Lafiya Dole theatre’s equipment disposition was deplorable. In order to boost the fighting capability of the forces, therefore, we resorted to scavenging dilapidated and abandoned vehicles,” he added.
He further explained that following the poor state of equipment, the then Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, authorized the use of trucks initially procured for road construction, as well as tractors meant for mechanized farming, to support military operations.
Former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami says Economic and Financial Crimes Commission operatives forcefully evicted him and his family from their Abuja residence despite ongoing court proceedings over the property’s forfeiture.
He described the action as unlawful and vowed to challenge it in court.
The governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde, has approved a N10,000 transportation allowance as a palliative for the state workforce to cushion the effects of the increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State chapter, Kayode Martins, in a statement released on Monday, March 23, disclosed that the governor has granted the request of the union on the issue of transportation allowance.
The statement read
“Following the intervention and formal request made by the State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) earlier this morning, the state government has approved a N10,000 transportation allowance for all workers in the state.
The newly approved allowance is set to take effect from April 2026, providing much-needed relief to workers grappling with rising transportation costs amid current economic challenges.
This development comes as a direct response to sustained advocacy by the state NLC, aimed at cushioning the impact of increased living expenses on the workforce.
Further details on implementation are expected to be communicated by the relevant government authorities in due course.”
News
Former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation bags 72years imprisonment for diverting N868.46 million security funds
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, March 23, convicted and sentenced Chukwunyere Nwabuoku, former acting Accountant-General of the Federation (AGoF), to a 72-year jail term without an option of fine.
DailyTrust reports that in the judgment delivered, Justice Omotosho held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had been able to prove the nine-count money laundering charge beyond reasonable doubt.
According to the judge, the defendant is hereby convicted as charged.
Justice Omotosho convicted Nwabuoku in all the nine counts and sentenced him to eight years imprisonment in each of the counts, making 72 years.
The judge, however, ordered that the counts shall run concurrently.
Justice Omotosho, who described Nwabuoku’s act of diverting funds meant for security and defence while he served as Director of Finance and Account in the Ministry of Defence as “appalling,” commended the EFCC for being detailed in its prosecution.
The judge observed that the evidence of the 9th prosecution witness that Nwabuoku voluntarily refunded part of the siphoned money of over N200 million during investigation was not controverted by the defence.
Nwabuoku served as the Director of Finance and Accounts in the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021. He became acting Accountant General of the Federation in May 2022.
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