Senate threatens Marwa, Monguno with arrest warrant

The Senate has threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Gen. Muhammad Buba Marwa (Rtd.) and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Munguno, over their failure to honour its invitation.

The Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation had raised queries against NDLEA and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in a 2016 report, which is being considered by the Senate Public Accounts Committee.

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NDLEA was slammed 11 queries bordering on mismanagement of funds amounting to N467million.

The audit report showed that the alleged financial infraction was committed in the 2015 financial year before Marwa was appointed the head of the agency

ONSA was queried over the alleged diversion of N3.5 billion meant for the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) to acquire vehicles for military officers.

Senator Matthew Urhoghide, who chairs the Senate panel probing the allegations, said officials of both agencies did not respond to several invitations seeking explanation on the audit queries against them.

Urhoghide vowed that the Red Chamber would use constitutional means to compel both Marwa and Monguno to appear before his committee.

“We don’t have reference for personality, nobody is bigger than us. We advise them, in their best interest, to appear. We are warning them for the last time, we are going to use every constitutional means to force them to appear before us,” he said.

On the ONSA query, he said “NSA should come and clarify. We do not have other issue directly with him. We implore him to send any person of competence or appear in person.”

The NDLEA said it was not aware of any invitation from the Senate.

“I have checked through all the relevant channels within the agency and nobody is aware or has received any such invitation from the Senate committee.

“I’m however aware that the issues raised had been adequately addressed by the previous leadership of the agency long before the incumbent chairman/chief executive came into office,” the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said.