• Insists $2.1bn Arms Deal A Scam

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to exercise caution over his order for the probe of 18 Military Generals by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over alleged involvement in the $2.1b arms deal.

Reacting to the recent order through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose said the military officers ought to have been probed in accordance with the armed forces rules of engagement.

While reiterating his support for the fight against corruption, the Ekiti chief executive said the $2.1b arms deal was a scam arguing that, “they are just doing this to brandish figures to deceive Nigerians and demonise the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and those opposed to his dictatorship in the All Progressive Congress (APC).”

He noted that “till today, the amount they have charged people for stealing is not up to N10 billion and $2.1 billion they claimed was stolen is about N600 billion”, adding that the president must let Nigerians see where the arms deal is in the 2015 Budget and publish details of the imaginary $2.1 billion scam.

“Also, the President must tell Nigerians how his friend, Jafaru Isa was able to return N100m to the EFCC within three days, because there are insinuations that the N100m refunded came from the Presidency,” the governor said.

He said it was strange for serving military generals to be interrogated by junior police officers, warning that “the president should not act in a way that he will be perceived as ridiculing the armed forces.”

Fayose cautioned further: “Even though I am not a military officer, but I know that there is what is called orderly room trial, which military men who erred in the performance of their duties are made to go through. It is until they are found guilty and probably dismissed that they are made to face court trial.

“In this case, how does it feel for a serving Military General to be interrogated by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP)?

“I think we should not destroy our democratic institutions, especially the judiciary and the armed forces because we are fighting corruption. Already, the president has ridiculed the judiciary by disobeying the courts and coming on television to say that orders of the court do not hold waters.

“He is also destroying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by making it commission for inconclusive elections. He should not ridicule the military and men of goodwill should advise the president to tread cautiously.”

The governor alerted the international community, especially the United States, United Kingdom and the United Nations to the need to caution President Buhari “against actions capable of bringing down institutions of government under the guise of fighting corruption.”