N522m Airport Arms Deal: Experts Query Ex-minister Sirika’s Approval

Aviation security experts have raised concerns over the alleged procurement of firearms and ammunition worth N522.49 million by the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, warning that the proliferation of arms at Nigerian airports could create serious security and command-and-control challenges.

The experts also questioned approvals allegedly granted towards the end of the tenure of the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, particularly the procurement of arms for aviation security operations.

It could be recalled that the Auditor-General for the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) raised concerns over the transactions.

According to the report, the ministry paid N270,020,066.80 through two vouchers dated January 10 and May 23, 2023, for the procurement of AK rifles, red-dot sights and AK ammunition to enhance aviation security operations at the nation’s airports.

A further N252,470,282.20 was reportedly paid for the procurement of sub-machine guns, pistols and ammunition, bringing the total expenditure to N522,490,349.

The Auditor-General raised concerns over the documentation supporting the transactions, including the absence of evidence of approval from the National Security Adviser (NSA) and some required due-process documents relating to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

The report also raised questions over the custody of the firearms, noting the absence of documentary evidence establishing that the procured items had been received.

The ministry had reportedly explained that the firearms were supplied to the armoury of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) headquarters in Abuja for safekeeping pending the completion of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) armoury.

However, the Auditor-General said there was no documentary evidence establishing that the firearms were in the custody of the NSCDC and recommended that the Permanent Secretary account to the relevant committees of the National Assembly and that the queried amount be recovered and remitted to government coffers.

Aviation security experts also expressed concerns over the documentation, approval and custody of the firearms.

They raised fresh questions over the appropriate role of the aviation ministry and FAAN in airport security, the approval process for arms procurement and the need for a coordinated command structure among the various security agencies operating at Nigeria’s airports.

Reacting to the development, former Commandant of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), questioned the authority of the aviation ministry to procure arms and ammunition for airport security.

Ojikutu, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Centurion Security Systems & Services Limited, described the matter as “institutional corruption.”

“First, has the Ministry any force, security or arms right to purchase any arms or be responsible for any security forces? Whoever in the Ministry must explain himself to the DSS,” he said.

He also questioned whether the procurement was carried out with the authority of the NSA, whom he identified as the chairman of the National Aviation Security Committee (NASC).

“Secondly, did the Ministry do that with the authority of the NSA who is the Chairman of the National Aviation Security Committee (NASC), or is there anyone in the Ministry that is a member of the NASC?” Ojikutu asked.

He called for a wider investigation into the finances of agencies under the aviation ministry.

“There are more things for the Auditor-General of the Federation to investigate in the financial earnings of the agencies under the ministry, especially in FAAN and the NCAA,” he said.

Ojikutu warned against the multiplication of firearms at Nigerian airports, arguing that the development could have implications for aviation security and Nigeria’s compliance with international standards.

“There are dangers in the multiplication of firearms in the Nigerian airports which is not recorded in the Nigerian Airports Security Programmes submitted to ICAO,” he said.

“Today, we have more than six government security agencies working at our international airports, all carrying arms but no Unified Command and Control.”

He further questioned the deployment of armed security forces within FAAN, arguing that the agency’s commercial role should be distinguished from that of the primary security agencies operating at the airports.

“It is not right nor sufficient to have armed security forces in FAAN, a Commercial Services Provider. This is absolutely in conflict with the main security forces in the airports, especially Immigration, DSS, Customs, NDLEA, NAF, the primary operational joint-users, and those outside like the police and others,” Ojikutu said.

According to him, the development amounted to political interference in a highly technical area of airport security.

“This is political interference in very technical security issues with practices in international standards. ICAO may hear this and add it to what it brought to the knowledge of the NSA recently,” he warned.

Also reacting, the Secretary-General of the Aviation Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), Olumide Ohunayo, questioned several decisions taken during the tenure of former Minister Hadi Sirika, particularly towards the end of his administration.

“It’s shocking, some of the actions of the immediate past minister, aviation minister, Senator Hadi Sirika. Look at those transactions, generally, to me,” Ohunayo said.

Ohunayo, who is also the Head of Research and Corporate Travel at Zenith Travel/Consul, alleged that Sirika made several approvals towards the end of his tenure, including the expansion of directorates in the ministry.

“And towards the end, he made a lot of approvals when he knew he was leaving office. He expanded directorates in the ministry that the present government also continued to use, that same expanded directorate. Despite the continuous call that they lack funds, they need funds to run, you can see he gets his credit over share,” he said.

Ohunayo questioned the rationale for spending more than N500 million on ammunition for airport security personnel.

“Yes, he expanded the directorate, giving special needs even a director. So why would he buy, why would he put over 500 million to buy ammunition? Is he going to fight Boko Haram? Is he going to war?”

“That you go ahead and make a profit of over 500 million to buy ammunition for people that are supposed to be at the airport. They have police backup, Air Force backup, and you are giving them equipment of over N500 million,” he said.

Ohunayo also questioned the reported absence of approval from the NSA and the timing of the payments.

“There was no approval, there was no approval, you didn’t go to the National Security Adviser, yet you mentioned the money were approved and moved out before your departure, even on the last day in office, May 23rd,” he said.

“Sincerely, Senator Hadi Sirika had a lot of questions to answer. First, they must first retrieve that money back to government coffers before other issues can come in.”

He further questioned the need for such quantities of ammunition for aviation security.

“FAAN does not need that amount of ammunition. They’re not a military organisation or another arm of government that’s handling security. They’re just handling aviation security,” Ohunayo said.

“Aviation security deals more with intelligence, background information, cooperation, rather than ammunition.”