Saharareporters has obtained a secret report by the Nigerian Army implicating current National Security Adviser, Gen Andrew Azazi (rtd), former Governors James Ibori and DSP Alamieyeseigha, and former Director-General of the State Security Service, Lt. Col Kayode Are (rtd) in the massive diversion and sale of Nigerian army weaponry to Niger Delta militants.

SaharaReporters obtained the intelligence report one week after Sonny Bowie Okah denounced members of his family as “killers” and vowed to destroy them, and a few days after the State Security Services intercepted 13 container loads of arms being imported into Nigeria through the Lagos port.

Sonny Bowei Okah, a brother to Henry Okah, the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta currently facing terrorism charges in South Africa, is portrayed in the report as a central character in the deals. Also mentioned in the document are Major Gen R.O. Adekhegba, a former Director of the Directorate of Military Intelligence, Henry Okah himself, Major S.A. Akubo, a serving army officer, and ten soldiers who worked with the Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps.

The 35-page report, which is dated November 2007, is the product of an intensive investigation by the headquarters of the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps following a tip-off by a soldier and a red flag by the SSS that army weapons were flowing from an ordinance depots in Kaduna and Jaji to militants.

Azazi, who was chief of army staff at the time, Adekhegba, former army intelligence chief, and Are, the then SSS director, reportedly covered up the matter. Ibori and Alamieyeseigha were named as having financed the arms deals.

The report, suppressed for long by the military hierarchy and the Federal Government, details in shocking detail how Sunny Okah funneled over N100 million to Major Akubo and the soldiers in exchange for over 7,000 cache of assorted arms and ammunition.

The report reveals that, within a seven-year period, Sonny Okah colluded with Major Akubo to move the weaponry. “They would surreptitiously drive Isuzu pick-up vans and sewage disposal trucks into ordinance depots in Jaji and Kaduna and then ferry out high-caliber and light weapons, even ammunitions,” said a source within the intelligence community who also had access to the report.

The report describes Sunny Okah as the major middleman between the soldiers and the militants, including his brother Henry.

“The amount of weapons stolen are enough to hold not just Port Harcourt hostage but the whole of Nigeria,” the report notes. “Should criminals decide to spread out to major cities of Nigeria with just a few of these weapons and cause chaos simultaneously, it is doubtful if we will not have a national state of emergency situation in our hands.”

The weapons include rocket launchers, UMGs, GPMGs, G3 and Mark IV rifles, Barretta rifles, AK 47 and bagfuls of ammunitions.

The investigation was triggered when a certain Private Zamanu Adamu who, while on guard at the ordinance depot in Jaji, Kaduna, in September 2007, reported that the seal on the depot had been broken and that some items had been removed.

In its investigation, the army intelligence corps interrogated Sunny Okah, Major Akubo and the soldiers who confessed to the crime. The investigators unearthed the fact that there was an earlier arms sale at 1 Ordinance Base in Kaduna. Major Akubo is named as the prime suspect in that deal.

Our investigation revealed that, rather than get to the bottom of the case and bring perpetrators to book, both the SSS and the Directorate of Military Intelligence engaged in official cover-ups. Azazi, Are and Adekhegba spearheaded the campaign to bury the report.

“It’s true that the SSS launched an investigation quite all right, and even got the army authorities to release the suspects – Major Akubo and the soldiers – to it for interrogation,” said an army source. He added that “the investigation was soon truncated and the suspects, including Sunny Okah, were released even after they confessed to the crime.”

Our sources disclosed that then Major Akubo was taken in by the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), but was interrogated by a one-man panel appointed by Adekhegba. He was curiously released to return to his unit based on instructions from Azazi, even when his involvement in the scandalous deals had been firmly established.

At the time the arms thefts began, Azazi was General Officer Commanding the 1st Division in Kaduna. Investigators suggested that he handled the case shabbily in order to cover up his “command failure”.

“Is there a likelihood that this case was shabbily handled in order that Gen Azazi’s failures may remain undiscovered?” the report asked. “Did Gen Azazi use course mate influence on the then DG of DSS Lt Col LKK Are (rtd) to ensure that the case remain suppressed? Otherwise, why did it take until now when Are is no longer in office for the DSS to reopen the case and be willing to cooperate fully.” The report added, “Gen Azazi obviously has more questions to answer regarding his roles in this case.”




The report fingered Ibori and Alamieyeseigha as financiers of the arms acquisition. Both men, who were state governors at the time, allegedly provided the funds with which Sunny Okah went on his arms shopping spree.

“These two politicians are mentioned as financiers of the arms acquisition project,” the report said. “Certainly, they would not have provided money without knowing the source of the weapons. Simply put, a breach of security of this magnitude was deliberately masterminded by state governors.”

Major Akubo is reported to have confessed to investigators that Sunny Okah approached him in 2004 stating that Ibori and Alamieyeseigha had given him a job to source for arms on their behalf. Okah asked for Akubo’s help to deliver on the job.

Ibori recently appealed the ruling by a court in Dubai that he should be extradited to the UK to face charges for money laundering. Meanwhile Alamieyeseigha, a convict who served a short jail term for corrupt enrichment, is championing the President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential election bid.

The report recommended that Azazi and Adekhegba be sanctioned and that the indicted governors should be further investigated.

The recommendations were not implemented. In fact, shortly before the report was written, Azazi forwarded the name of the former DMI chief for a national award while Sunny Okah was set free. Sunny Okah has since been recruited by the Jonathan administration and is being used to press the case against his brothers, Charles and Henry, over the October 1 Abuja bomb blast.

A few weeks ago, Jonathan appointed Azazi as his new national security adviser. Despite his indictment in the report, Azazi enjoyed one of the fastest career elevations among Nigerian military officers. Between mid-2006 and mid-2007, he rose from Major General to Lieutenant General to General.

However, on August 20, 2008, months after the report was written, Umaru Yar’Adua fired Azazi as Chief of Defense Staff and retired him from the Army. Two sources have told Saharareporters that the arms deal report of 2007 influenced Yar’Adua’s decision to fire Azazi from his post. One of those sources revealed that then Vice President Jonathan was aware of the reason for Azazi’s firing. “By asking General Azazi to come out of retirement and become his NSA, is President Jonathan out to register his disagreement with the judgment of the late president?” asked the source.

However, Major Akubo and the soldiers have since been court-martialed, dismissed from the army and are serving jail terms.

The investigative report wondered how widespread the theft and sale of military arms thefts were, not just in the army but in the navy, the air force, the police, and other armed agencies. It also raised questions about the role of politicians as financiers of the deals, and wondered about how the arms shopping affected national security.

After an overview of the many issues raised by the arms deals and the highly placed individuals involved in them, the investigative report formulated a conspiracy theory. It suggested that there was a link between the aborted Orkar coup in 1989, the 2001 Ikeja Cantonment arms depot explosions, the arms theft at 1BODK, and the militancy in the Niger Delta.

“It is believed that there is an orchestrated plan by the Niger Deltans to secede from Nigeria which is being played out over the years with every opportunity they have,” the report concluded.

http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/uploads/Azazi.pdf

Lock the bástards up!

Even if the SS were to secede, it wouldn't be good for a tiny oil rich country to be surrounded by a larger hungry country. That wouldn't make sense because they'd get overrun and dominated.

Theres no such thing as SS seceding.Who has been calling for it?

chyz1:

Theres no such thing as SS seceding.Who has been calling for it?

Why are they arming themselves?? With the collaboration of their governors and top ranking military personnel.

gadogado:

Even if the SS were to secede, it wouldn't be good for a tiny oil rich country to be surrounded by a larger hungry country. That wouldn't make sense because they'd get overrun and dominated.

So, why hasn't Israel been dominated? What sort of weapons would a hungry North (or whatever) possess to threaten the SS with?

Here's a small story for you to make something out of:

While the mother hawk was teaching her babies how to hunt, she sent them out on a test.

The first one returned with a chick and the mother hawk asked what the chicks mother did in defence; her baby replied that the chicks mother screamed, swore, broke things and ranted. To that, the mother hawk said, "eat the damn thing!"
The second baby returned with a chick and as usual, the mother hawk asked what the chicks mother did in defence; her baby replied that the chicks mother never said a word, never shed a tear, she just remained quiet. In her wisdom, the mother hawk adviced, "return that chick to its mother without hesitation!"

^^^^

Dude, what are you talking about, mother chick or whatever nonsense that is has Zap all to do with anything. Im talking about norms in international politics. When the USSR broke up, didn't the larger Russian federation maintain a sphere of influence on smaller soviet states?? Isn't that still the case?
SS would only have the dutch disease anyway and would continue being a Rentier economy. Its not like the rest of Nigeria supposing they allow SS to secede peacefully would go broke immediately, to suggest that is simplistic thinking. The north would get interest free loans from the OIC and Islamic bank and jump start agriculture and oil and gas exploration that are currently ongoing in lake Chad and Bauchi and Benue or gold mining in Sokoto. Its not people will just sit down and stare.

Beaf:

So, why hasn't Israel been dominated? What sort of weapons would a hungry North (or whatever) possess to threaten the SS with?

Here's a small story for you to make something out of:

While the mother hawk was teaching her babies how to hunt, she sent them out on a test.

The first one returned with a chick and the mother hawk asked what the chicks mother did in defence; her baby replied that the chicks mother screamed, swore, broke things and ranted. To that, the mother hawk said, "eat the damn thing!"
The second baby returned with a chick and as usual, the mother hawk asked what the chicks mother did in defence; her baby replied that the chicks mother never said a word, never shed a tear, she just remained quiet. In her wisdom, the mother hawk adviced, "return that chick to its mother without hesitation!"

If it wasn't for the allegiance that Israel and USA have Israel would be what Ahmadinejad said, "wiped of the planet"

gadogado:

^^^^
. [b]The north would get interest free loans from the OIC and Islamic bank and jump start agriculture and oil and gas exploration that are currently ongoing in lake Chad and Bauchi and Benue or gold mining in Sokoto. [/b]Its not people will just sit down and stare.

So, why dont they get the loans right now? Why they gotta wait till 2097?

Since when this became a news?? what abt un-reveal documents found in gbaramatu?? why was access to Yar'adua denied to everyone Do u think Yar'adua was in good term wid GEJ?? Why Azazi as NSA JONATHAN IS AN EVIL MAN OPEN YOUR EYES WELL- WELL.

  This is the first time I've heard oof this.

Is is really possible that GEJ would [i]knowingly [/i]appoint as his NSA, the person who is supposed to advise him on how to keep the country safe, someone who has been implicated in illegal arms deal?

However, on August 20, 2008, months after the report was written, Umaru Yar’Adua fired Azazi as Chief of Defense Staff and retired him from the Army. Two sources have told Saharareporters that the arms deal report of 2007 influenced Yar’Adua’s decision to fire Azazi from his post. One of those sources revealed that then Vice President Jonathan was aware of the reason for Azazi’s firing. “By asking General Azazi to come out of retirement and become his NSA, is President Jonathan out to register his disagreement with the judgment of the late president?” asked the source.

If this is not SR propaganda, then The Lord have Mercy on this country come 2011.

Beaf:

So, why hasn't Israel been dominated? What sort of weapons would a hungry North (or whatever) possess to threaten the SS with?

Here's a small story for you to make something out of:

While the mother hawk was teaching her babies how to hunt, she sent them out on a test.

The first one returned with a chick and the mother hawk asked what the chicks mother did in defence; her baby replied that the chicks mother screamed, swore, broke things and ranted. To that, the mother hawk said, "eat the damn thing!"
The second baby returned with a chick and as usual, the mother hawk asked what the chicks mother did in defence; her baby replied that the chicks mother never said a word, never shed a tear, she just remained quiet. In her wisdom, the mother hawk adviced, "return that chick to its mother without hesitation!"

bunkum - if the nd secedes from nigeria, it will degenerate instantly into infighting - all those your ateke tom and co will be fighting for control - it will be a questio od who strikes first . . .odili may wind up becoming the local charles taylor - as an aside the idoko are a minority tribe - will be marginalized - so we can expect to see someone on ndland whining about how the republic of the nd is worse than nazi germany

oyb:


bunkum - if the nd secedes from nigeria, it will degenerate instantly into infighting - all those your ateke tom and co will be fighting for control - it will be a questio od who strikes first . . .odili may wind up becoming the local charles taylor  - as an aside  the idoko are a minority tribe - will be marginalized - so we can expect to see someone on ndland whining about how the republic of the nd is worse than nazi germany

I definitely concur.

Nice report by SR.

gadogado:

“It is believed that there is an orchestrated plan by the Niger Deltans to secede from Nigeria which is being played out over the years with every opportunity they have,” the report concluded.
http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/uploads/Azazi.pdf

But the conclusion is erroneous, misplaced and a weak point in an otherwise well scripted piece. If the grand design is to secede nothing stops the financiers (who have more money than they know what to do with) from bringing in wholesale quantities of arms through their backyard rather than risk losing all (including dear life) to a vigilant corporal on a Nigerian highway.

Besides the govs mentioned are not revolutionaries. They are business men who simply want more money without unnecessary risks.

Essentially the story is about people who know the system and its imperfections and decided to capitalize on identified weaknesses to their advantage. Purely criminal. In China, Aziza, his major and the other collaborating soldiers would have been lined up and shot (they shoot everybody there anyway even Mrs Ibru would have had the bullet), in America they would have had 60yrs a piece. In Nigeria? Just another sensational headlines in the media for a few days.

I figure Major Akubo and his co travellers will be quietly released after a few years and properly 'settled'.