By Saidu Idris
Six months after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared a military contractor, Aboubakar Hima, wanted for embezzling $394 million, €9.9 million and N369 million meant for the procurement of military equipment, no progress has been made in apprehending the suspect.
The Niger national was declared wanted in August, 2020, in a case of criminal conspiracy, contract scam, misappropriation of public funds, money laundering and fraud, according to the anti-graft body.
According to the EFCC, the suspect, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Societe D’Equipment Internationaux (SEI), allegedly received the money for the purchase of military equipment for the Nigerian Military, but investigations revealed discrepancies in the supply of the equipment.
Subsequently, Hima, who is now on the run, was invited by the EFCC, but has so far failed to honour the invitation.
Those in the know said he allegedly worked hands in gloves with the immediate past Military leadership, who, apparently, approved the payments for the fraudulent transactions.
Sources who spoke anonymously on the case revealed to 365Daily that the suspect is ‘powerful’, making the case difficult to pursue.
This is happening at a time when Nigeria is facing serious security challenges, especially in the North, and military rank and file are groaning over inadequate weapons to have a successful war against terrorists and bandits.
It also buttresses rising concerns over how monies meant for the war against terrorism and other internal security challenges in Nigeria are being mismanaged.
General Babagana Monguno (Rtd.), the National Security Adviser (NSA), recently stirred controversy when he disclosed in an interview with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that about $1billion released to the military by President Muhammadu Buhari for the purchase of military equipment could not be accounted for.
According to the NSA, neither the funds nor the weapons the ex-service chiefs were meant to buy could be traced. He also disclosed that the President would soon order a probe into the matter.
Monguno, who had made the disclosure in response to a question on why the Buhari administration appeared to be failing in the fight against banditry, added, “The President has done his best by approving huge sums of money for the purchase of weapons, but the weapons were not bought, they are not here. Now, he has appointed new service chiefs, hopefully, they will devise some ways.”
Although the NSA later made some clarifications to say he was not accusing the past Military leadership of any wrongdoing, many see his recant as a result of pressure from some quarters.