Former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has reacted to criticisms trailing him in the wake of a stockpiled of arms and ammunition handed over to the state Commissioner of Police.
In a statement, Amosun’s revealed that his government legitimately purchased the 13 units of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), 1000 units of AK 47 rifles, two million rounds of ammunition,1000 units of bullet proof vests and 500 bullet proof helmets and other security communication gadgets.
The statement released by his spokesperson, Rotimi Durojaiye, on Thursday, June 27, further revealed that the government received approval from the Office of the National Security Adviser to former president Goodluck Jonathan.
Amosun recalled that in 2012, his administration had committed “substantial funds” for the procurement of hard and software to combat the myriad of security challenges being faced by the state. Amosun pointed out that in April 2012, the security gadgets were publicly handed over to the then IGP, Mohammed Abubakar. He said it was the remainder of gadgets that had been handed over to the commissioner of police on May 28, but clarified that “Not a single AK 47 rifle was handed over at the event.”
Furthermore, Amosun added that Dapo Abiodun, the present governor of Ogun state, was the main supplier of some of the security assets, including the Armoured Personnel Carriers which he reportedly handed over to the police at the expiration of his tenure.
However, Abiodun, reacting through his chief press secretary, Abiodun Kunle Somorin, wondered why his name would be mentioned by his predecessor in what he referred to as an “arms scandal”. He said: “I read of Armoured Personnel Carriers – vehicles, not arms or ammunition. Did he default in supplying according to the terms of the contract? “What’s the motivation for bringing the governor’s name into the arms scandal? I consider it distracting or part of the grand plot to smear Dapo Abiodun,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, spokesman to President Mohammadu Buhari, Garbau Shehu has stated that preliminary investigation by IGP Mohammed Adamu showed that there was no sinister motive in Amosun’s action.
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