PRESIDENTIAL aide Daniel Bwala has alleged that a rivalry between the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration resulted in troops being denied air support during some military operations.
News Point Nigeria reports that Bwala claimed tensions between the leadership of the two military services at the time hampered operational coordination, with requests for aerial support allegedly going unanswered during certain missions.
The presidential aide made the remarks while speaking on The Link Up Podcast, a panel discussion hosted by EchoRoom and published on Friday.
According to Bwala, disagreements between the then Chief of Air Staff and the leadership of the Nigerian Army affected collaboration on the battlefield, a situation he said has changed under the current administration.
“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.
Bwala made the assertion while responding to questions on allegations that terrorist groups may have infiltrated the Nigerian military.
He dismissed suggestions that security personnel deliberately shield terrorists during attacks, describing such claims as speculative and lacking concrete evidence.
“I don’t think so. You see that’s a conjecture, except there’s a live case,” he said.
However, Bwala acknowledged that isolated instances of infiltration or collaboration by individuals within the security agencies could not be completely ruled out.
“You cannot rule out the facts that they may have one or two agents in the army, anywhere else, that providing… Our police have always been arrested, and soldiers arrested involved in this kind of thing,” he said, referring to previous arrests involving security personnel, including a senior police officer allegedly apprehended alongside Chinese nationals.
The presidential aide argued that such incidents are not peculiar to Nigeria, citing the case of former United States intelligence contractor Edward Snowden as an example of how security breaches can occur even in advanced 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.
Bwala also suggested that Nigeria’s security challenges have an international dimension, pointing to demonstrations in parts of northern Nigeria where Russian flags were reportedly displayed.
“If you remember, there was a decision the Federal Government of Nigeria made at that time, immediately we started seeing these people in Nigeria lifting Russian flags,” he said.
He further referred to allegations made by United States Congressman Scott Perry, who claimed during a congressional hearing that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) funded Boko Haram and the Islamic State.
Bwala stressed that he was not endorsing the claims but merely pointing out that such discussions had taken place at an international level.
“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, because he’s not a Nigerian, but I’m just providing facts to you to tell you that conversations like that have gone on.
“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.
He added: “So, me, I’m not saying he’s right or he’s wrong. But what I’m saying is that an event like that has occurred, and as a country we cannot hear that and say you are a liar.”
Assessing the performance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Bwala said the government had made significant progress, particularly in strengthening Nigeria’s foreign reserves and improving revenue generation.
“He has done more than enough to earn the trust of Nigerians,” the presidential aide said, adding that Nigerians would ultimately decide whether the President deserves another term in office.