Former Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has dismissed a recent story that accused him of stockpiling weapons illegally in the Government House before the end of his tenure last month.
Premium Times, an online news website, had published a story this week claiming that Amosun imported four million bullets, 1,000 units of AK-47 rifles, 1,000 bulletproof vests and an armoured personnel carrier (APC) without appropriate permits.
The former governor was said to have hurriedly surrendered the large stockpile of arms and ammunition to the state’s Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, just a day before his second term tenure as Ogun governor ended.
Even though the former governor, now a senator representing Ogun Central senatorial district, declined to respond to Premium Times’ initial requests for comment, he’s now been forced to issue a statement due to the public attention the story has generated.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Rotimi Durojaiye, on Tuesday, June 25, 2019, Amosun said the handover of the stockpile was routine and patriotic, and that the story has been “so savagely twisted”.
The former governor said the handover was done openly in the full glare of the public and the media to ensure accountability, guarantee transparency and judicious use of the assets.
Explaining what led to the purchase of the weapons, the lawmaker said the state was troubled by insecurity in 2011 when he was elected for his first term in office.
“Political assassinations, unnatural and unexplained deaths were prevalent,” he noted.
He said his administration committed funds into the procurement of hard and soft ware, and other security assets to decisively combat security challenges in the state.
Contrary to the initial story, Amosun said the state government got all the necessary approvals for the purchased weapons during the administration of former president, Goodluck Jonathan, in 2012.
He said, “The SIA administration sought help from the then President Goodluck Jonathan led Federal Government. First, we sought and got approval to set up “OP MESA” for Ogun State. We followed this up with the specialized QRS unit.
“We committed substantial funds into procurement of hard and soft ware, and, myriad security assets to decisively combat our security challenges.
“We got all necessary approvals from the Office of the National Security Adviser to procure the 13 units of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), the 1000 units of AK 47 rifles, 2 Million rounds of ammunition,1000 units of Bullet proof vests and 500 bullet proof helmets and other security communication gadgets.
“Ogun State not only got approval to import these essential assets, the Federal administration under President Goodluck Jonathan, gave all requisite approvals to assist the State.
“The Federal Government through the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) issued the State the End User Certificate Serial Number 000001123 dated 5th of March, 2012.
“The Federal Ministry of Finance also granted Import Duty Exemption Certificate through a letter from the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy with Reference Number BO/R.10260/S.4/T.4/22 dated 10th April, 2012.
“Indeed the supplier was an accredited agent of the Nigeria Police Force nominated for the job by the Force who also monitored and supervised the transaction.
“The security materials were cleared through the Murtala Muhammed Airport and confirmed through Nigeria Customs Memo NCS/MMAC/012/S.1.
“The materials were publicly handed over to the Inspector General of Police MD Abubakar on 22nd April, 2012 wherein he acknowledged that, ‘I have served in all six geographical zones of this country. I have never seen the kind of equipment you are donating to security agents today. This is the first of such maximum donation I have ever seen since I have been serving as a police officer.'”
Amosun assured that extant approvals, regulations and protocols were observed and complied with, and that the AK-47 rifles were supplied directly to the Ogun State Police Command while the rest were securely kept in the approved designated armoury within the Government House precincts under police surveillance.
He noted that AK-47 rifles were not part of the equipment handed over on May 28, 2019, as claimed by Premium Times.
The former governor also rubbished the claim that he hurriedly handed over the arms and ammunition because he didn’t want to be exposed by the new Ogun governor, Dapo Abiodun, whom he publicly opposed as a potential successor even though they’re both members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Amosun said the current governor was the main supplier of some of the assets in question, notably, the armoured personnel carriers.
The lawmaker lauded his administration for restoring peace in Ogun and fostering economic prosperity, and urged that contrary insinuations, twisting of facts and deliberate misinformation should be discarded,
“We say with pride that our substantial investment and commitment to security paid off. Ogun State won several international and local security awards. Companies returned to our shores in even higher numbers,” he said.
The presidency told ThisDay on Tuesday that a preliminary investigation has already been undertaken by the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
“At this early stage, we don’t think that there is anything sinister about the whole issue,” President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said.
Makama, the state’s Police commissioner, also denied receiving any firearms from Amosun. He said he only took delivery of an armoured personnel carrier and 1.4 million live ammunition from the former governor.
“When I assumed office in May I received a call from the then governor, who asked me to come for the leftovers of the weapons that the state government bought to combat violent crimes in the state, upon his assumption of office in 2011,” he said.
Makama said the Force Headquarters in Abuja was also aware of the handover and that everything was done officially.
