Presidential aide Daniel Bwala has claimed that a disagreement between the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration prevented troops from receiving air support during some military operations.
Bwala made the claim during The Link Up Podcast, hosted by EchoRoom on Friday.
According to him, poor cooperation between the two military services affected operations at the time.
“I remember during Buhari there was this disagreement that was reported to be between the Chief of Air Staff and that of the Army, so that whenever an operation was undertaken, when they asked for air cover, there wouldn’t be support. In this administration, it is not so. There is coordination or cooperation,” he said.
Speaking on claims that terrorists may have infiltrated the military, Bwala dismissed suggestions that security personnel deliberately protect terrorists.
However, he admitted that individual security officers could sometimes work with criminal groups.
Bwala said such incidents are not limited to Nigeria, citing former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden as an example of security breaches in other countries.
“This will happen anywhere in the world. Snowden was a contractor to the US national security. These are elements that can happen, and why I didn’t want to talk much on that is because there are measures we’re taking and we don’t want people to know,” he added.
He also suggested that Nigeria’s security challenges may have an international dimension, referring to protests in northern Nigeria where Russian flags were reportedly displayed.
Bwala further mentioned comments made by US Congressman Scott Perry during a congressional hearing, where Perry alleged that the CIA funded Boko Haram and ISIS.
He stressed that he was not confirming the allegation but only noting that such claims had been raised publicly.
“I wouldn’t say that, but I will tell you what I saw. When they were having the congressional hearing, I don’t know whether it is true or not, Scott Perry was interrogating the CIA director and he was telling him that their congressional finding suggests that the CIA was funding Boko Haram, ISIS,” he said.
Bwala also praised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying it had made progress in increasing government revenue and strengthening Nigeria’s foreign reserves.
He said Tinubu had done more than enough to earn Nigerians’ trust.
