A presidential aide, Daniel Bwala, has alleged that rivalry between the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari led to situations where troops were denied critical air support during military operations.
Bwala made the claim while speaking on The Link Up Podcast, a panel discussion hosted by EchoRoom and published on Friday.
According to him, disagreements between the leadership of the Army and the Air Force at the time affected coordination during operations against insurgents and bandits, with requests for air cover sometimes going unanswered.
“I remember during Buhari there was this disagreement that was imported 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 remarks while responding to questions on whether Nigeria’s security agencies had been infiltrated by individuals sympathetic to terrorist groups.
He dismissed suggestions that members of the armed forces deliberately protect or assist terrorists during attacks, describing such claims as speculative in the absence of concrete evidence.
“I don’t think so. You see that’s a conjecture, except there’s a live case,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that isolated cases of infiltration could occur, noting that security personnel had in the past been arrested for alleged involvement in criminal activities.
“You cannot rule out the fact that they may have one or two agents in the army or anywhere else providing support. Our police officers have been arrested, soldiers have been arrested over these kinds of things,” he stated.
Bwala referenced previous incidents involving security personnel and foreign nationals, arguing that no country is completely immune from infiltration.
“This happens everywhere in the world. Snowden was a contractor to the US national security system. These are things that can happen, and there are measures we are taking, but we do not want to disclose them publicly,” he added.
The presidential aide also suggested that Nigeria’s security challenges have international dimensions, citing past instances where some individuals in northern Nigeria displayed Russian flags during protests.
He further referred to claims made by United States Congressman Scott Perry, who alleged during a congressional hearing that the CIA had funded Boko Haram and the Islamic State, although Bwala said he could not independently verify the allegation.
“I am not saying he is right or wrong, but conversations like that have occurred, and as a country, we cannot simply ignore them,” he said.
Bwala also defended the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying there is now improved coordination among security agencies and citing economic indicators such as increased government revenue and stronger foreign reserves.
“He has done more than enough to earn the trust of Nigerians,” Bwala said, adding that citizens would ultimately determine whether the President deserves a second term in office.