The House of Representatives yesterday grilled Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Maj Gen Attahiru Ibrahim over arms procurement. 

Attahiru appeared before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating arms procurement.

The appearance caused a standoff between the Army Chief and the Committee members, as the latter refused to apologize over his inability to attend prior invitations. 

It would be recalled that the Committee had summoned the COAS and the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele on the 22nd of March and the 7th of April respectively. During his appearance on Monday, the COAS said he was unable to make it to the summons due to different engagements over internal security. 

He also refused to speak on the report he submitted to the committee. “An explanation is as good as an apology. Even a blind man knows that there are internal security challenges in the country. The same way you work for the people, that is the same way I work for the people. I have a command under me and they are also Nigerians. On the report, he said the executive summary should suffice.

This position angered some members of the committee who argued that he should speak under oath. Bede Eke, a member of the Committee asked the “COAS to speak on the record, to be sure that it emanated from the office of the COAS.”

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