Former senator, Shehu Sani, has strongly criticised Nigeria’s military over alleged misuse of defence funds meant for fighting terrorism and banditry.
Speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television aired Friday night, Sani said funds meant for military operations are being diverted to build shopping plazas, hotels, and even universities.
“Defence and security funds should go for defence,” Sani said. “Money meant for the Ministry of Defence should not be used to build plazas, hotels for the Navy, or military wives.”
He warned that such practices weaken the country’s ability to tackle insecurity, especially as troops on the frontlines continue to lack basic resources.
“Today, almost all security forces have shopping malls and markets. I even heard they have universities,” he added.
Sani said Nigeria has been battling terrorism and banditry for over a decade, and the slow pace of progress is partly due to poor allocation of resources. He noted that countries like Niger Republic face similar threats but called on Nigerian leaders to focus more on action than talk.
“You cannot win the war against terrorism in 24 hours,” Sani said, urging the government and military leadership to re-strategize and spend money where it truly matters—on the battlefield.
The former senator’s remarks come amid rising concerns about how defence budgets are spent in a country where insecurity remains a major national challenge.
