Babagana Monguno, the former National Security Adviser (NSA) to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has made startling revelations about how a powerful cabal within the presidency actively undermined his office and compromised Nigeria's security architecture.
Fuel Supplier Dispute Exposed Cabal's Grip
Monguno detailed a specific incident in a new biography, From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, authored by Dr. Charles Omole. He explained that a routine security recommendation to change the fuel supplier for the presidential air fleet triggered a major confrontation. The fleet commander had raised concerns that the existing supplier was under investigation and posed a potential security risk if indicted.
Monguno wrote to President Buhari, attached the memo, and recommended a switch, which the president approved. This decision, however, infuriated the then Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, who demanded an explanation. Monguno stated he defended his action, saying silence would have left him responsible if an incident occurred.
He revealed that the supplier, first introduced temporarily under President Olusegun Obasanjo, had developed strong roots with successive governments.
Financial Strangulation and Institutional Sabotage
The fallout was severe. Monguno claimed that Mamman Daura, a nephew to President Buhari, later visited his home and labelled the decision an "injustice" to the supplier. Following this disagreement, Monguno said he became persona non grata to Daura's circle.
The Minister of Finance, allegedly loyal to Mamman Daura, was instructed to withhold funds from the NSA's office even after presidential approvals were secured. This financial starvation, Monguno argued, critically weakened Nigeria's security framework, blinded the state, and caused subscriptions to critical international security systems to lapse.
He sent over thirty reminders and made repeated personal appeals to President Buhari, who often responded with instructions to "leave the file" or noted he had "sent it to Malam Abba." Surveillance infrastructure around the Presidential Villa, maintained from the NSA's budget, could not be updated due to stalled approvals.
Erosion of Institutional Memory and Capacity
Monguno further disclosed that institutional memory was deliberately sidelined. The Special Services Office (SSO), the permanent secretariat for the intelligence community, was excluded from about 20 National Security Council meetings, with notes instead taken by staff from the Chief of Staff's office.
He stated he refused to proceed with one meeting after Boss Mustapha became Secretary to the Government of the Federation until the SSO was readmitted. The NSA office also operated without a permanent secretary for 20 months due to political calculations, and even after Buhari approved an appointment, a counter-note from a gatekeeper nullified it.
"You do not need a conspiracy to weaken a system; you only need petty sabotage repeated often enough," Monguno concluded, asserting that both President Buhari and the Nigerian people were victims of a cabal that enriched itself while eroding national security capacity.
