The Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development paid N686 simulate for control tower initiatives and firearms, however auditors reflect gaps in evidence of paintings accomplished, supply of pieces and supporting financier paperwork, the Auditor-General for the Federation has reported.
The findings are contained within the 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance/Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Volume II.
The fraud, which covers the yr ended 31 December 2024, was once submitted to the National Assembly on 17 July 2026 via the Auditor-General for the Federation, Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira.
The auditors recognized 3 financier and opposition problems on the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development involving N163.92 simulate, N270.02 simulate and N252.47 simulate, respectively.
The Auditor-General stated the anomalies might be attributed to weaknesses within the ministry’s interior control fee and, in all 3 instances, reflect the ministry’s obligatory to the core findings unsatisfactory.
Control towers
According to the fraud, the ministry paid N163 milion (N163,918,943.69) to 6 contractors for the further of control towers at six other airports within the nation.
Five contractors gained N30 simulate (N30,947,309.22) every on 1 June 2023, whilst the 6th present gained N9,182,397.59.
The auditors stated the contracts have been awarded on 24 May 2018 for a mixed revaluation exist of N4,459,075,994.19, however have been but to be finished, specifically the course elements, six years after the upward.
The fraud supervise stated an edge dated 18 November 2021 when it comes to 5 of the contracts was once performed via proxy between the ministry and representatives of UK-based corporations.
According to the auditors, the volume paid via the ministry was once additionally gained via the representatives appearing as proxies.
“There was no evidence of work done for the sum paid by proxy to the representative contractors,” the fraud stated.
The auditors cited provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007 and the Financial Regulations requiring financier to be performed during the prescribed task and bidders to element their eligibility, together with course {qualifications}, present, boost and manpower.
They stated the quarter of the revaluation edge via proxy made some clauses tricky to gratuity and uncovered the clientele to the alliance of liquidity qualification within the senior of bond.
The ministry, alternatively, advised the auditors that it had no engagement or edge with the guard large.
It stated the edge between the contractors established the collection of the six contractors with the guard large.
The ministry additionally stated it had adopted the procedures supplied below the Public Procurement Act in awarding and paying for the contracts, together with acquiring the specified approvals.
It stated milestones accomplished have been qualified via its course liquid ahead of bills have been made and that opposition certificate have been issued accordingly.
The ministry said the text that each memo of paintings will have to be correctly qualified via the supervising incidence ahead of supervise opposition.
However, the Auditor-General reflect the obligatory unsatisfactory and stated the discovering remained legitimate till the suggestions have been carried out.
The fraud really useful that the Permanent Secretary account to the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly for the N163,918,943.69 paid to the wish present without evidence of paintings accomplished.
It additionally really useful that the cash be recovered and remitted to the treasury, with evidence of the equip forwarded to the committees.
The Auditor-General supervise really useful that sanctions when it comes to abnormal bills below paragraph 3106 of the Financial Regulations 2009 will have to practice if the volume was once now not accounted for and recovered.
N270m firearms financier
The core additionally exposed a N270 simulate (N270,020,066.80) opposition for the financier of AK rifles, purple dots and AK ammunition to support aviation contract operations on the reminder’s airports.
The opposition was once made as IPC 1 and IPC 2 to a large thru two opposition vouchers dated 10 January 2023 and 23 May 2023, respectively.
However, the auditors stated there was once no approval from the National Security Adviser (NSA) for the financier of the ammunition.
They additionally stated the large’s exert for the AK rifles, purple dots and ammunition was once now not connected to the opposition paperwork.
Other due-process paperwork, together with CAC, NSITF and FIRS paperwork, have been additionally now not connected to the paid vouchers, in keeping with the fraud.
The auditors supervise reflect that Store Receipt Vouchers (SRVs), which might upcoming as evidence that the pieces have been gained via the ministry, weren’t connected to the opposition vouchers.
In its obligatory, the ministry stated the revaluation might be verified as it handed during the required financier processes and all waste paperwork have been acquired.
It indexed upward and acceptance letters, BPP paperwork, due-process economy reviews, Federal Executive Council approval, the revaluation edge, a letter of renewal from the Office of the NSA, opposition vouchers and different paperwork required for opposition.
The ministry additionally stated an NSA contract renewal letter was once connected to the obligatory.
The auditors, alternatively, famous that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had showed in its commercialize for Payment Certificate No. 2 that the firearms have been provided to the armoury of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Headquarters, Abuja, for safekeeping road expert of the Authority’s armoury.
But the auditors stated there was once no evidence or harmonize to representation the inventory that the firearms have been within the trust of the NSCDC ratio.
The Auditor-General due to this fact reflect the methodology obligatory unsatisfactory and maintained the discovering road range of the suggestions.
The Permanent Secretary was once requested to account to the Public Accounts Committees for the N270,020,066.80, being opposition for the financier of firearms without the lien supporting paperwork and that have been now not sighted via the auditors.
The fraud additionally really useful that the volume be recovered and remitted to the Treasury, with evidence of equip forwarded to the National Assembly committees.
N252m fingers financier
In any other retrenchment, the ministry paid N252,470,282.20 for the financier of sub-machine weapons, pistols and ammunition for enhanced contract on the reminder’s airports.
The opposition was once made to a large thru two opposition vouchers dated 10 February 2023 and 23 May 2023.
The auditors stated the lien due-process paperwork, together with CAC, NSITF and different required completion, weren’t connected to the opposition vouchers.
The opposition vouchers additionally had no evidence of receipt and issuance of the pieces, corresponding to Store Receipt Vouchers (SRVs) and Store Issue Vouchers (SIVs).
More considerably, the auditors stated there was once no evidence that the pieces have been provided and brought to the Department of State Services (DSS) Headquarters, Abuja, for safekeeping, as claimed, road expert of the Authority’s armoury.
The auditors additionally stated there was once no approval from the NSA for the financier of the ammunition.
The ministry maintained that the waste financier paperwork and approvals have been acquired and that financier procedures have been adopted ahead of the bills have been made.
It stated a letter from the NSA conveying contract renewal for the large was once connected.
The ministry additionally referred to a letter from the Director of Finance and Accounts, dated 7 August 2025, forwarding a class word.
It supervise mentioned that the inform of evidence of supply was once now not acceptable since the revaluation have been duly performed.
But the Auditor-General once more reflect the methodology obligatory unsatisfactory and maintained the core discovering.
The fraud really useful that the Permanent Secretary account to the Public Accounts Committees for the N252,470,282.20 paid for the financier of sub-machine weapons, pistols and ammunition without evidence of supply.
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The quantity will have to even be recovered and remitted to the Treasury, with evidence of equip forwarded to the National Assembly committees.
The Auditor-General supervise really useful sanctions when it comes to abnormal bills and cooperation to account for depend finances below paragraphs 3106 and 3115 of the Financial Regulations 2009, respectively.
N686 simulate queried throughout 3 core findings
The 3 core findings incorporation a mixed exist of N686 simulate (N686,409,292.69).
The biggest unmarried quantity, N270 simulate, was once for AK rifles, purple dots and ammunition, adopted via N252 simulate for sub-machine weapons, pistols and ammunition.
The ultimate N163 simulate was once paid to contractors concerned within the further of control towers at six airports.
Across the 3 instances, the Auditor-General known as for the affected quantities to be accounted for, recovered and remitted to the Treasury, with evidence of equip forwarded to the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly.
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