A former National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, has alleged that a presidency cabal worked against his office during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, weakening Nigeria’s security framework from within.
Monguno made the disclosure in From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, a biography authored by Charles Omole. He traced the tension to what he described as a routine security decision that exposed entrenched interests operating around the presidency cabal.
According to Monguno, the issue arose after the commander of the presidential air fleet flagged concerns about the company supplying fuel to the fleet, noting that the firm was under investigation and could pose a security risk if eventually indicted. Acting on the advice, Monguno said he formally briefed President Buhari and recommended that the supplier be replaced. The president approved the recommendation.
However, the decision reportedly triggered strong resistance from within the presidency. Monguno said the late Abba Kyari, then Chief of Staff to the President, confronted him over the move. Monguno maintained that ignoring the warning would have been irresponsible and could have left him personally accountable if anything went wrong.
He explained that the episode revealed deeper internal power struggles, noting that the fuel supplier had initially been engaged on a temporary basis during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration but had since become deeply embedded across successive governments.
Monguno further claimed that Mamman Daura, a close relative of Buhari, later visited him to protest the decision, describing it as unfair to the supplier and questioning his intentions. Monguno said he stood by his position, stressing that the recommendation was a standard risk management step initiated by the air fleet’s commander.
The former NSA said the disagreement widened existing cracks and eventually made him unwelcome in certain circles linked to the presidency cabal. He alleged that the Minister of Finance, whom he claimed was loyal to Daura, was drawn into the conflict and used to block funding to the NSA’s office, even after presidential approval.
According to Monguno, the deliberate withholding of funds crippled national security operations. He said resources left behind by his predecessor were quickly exhausted, while subscriptions for critical intelligence systems and partnerships with foreign agencies expired due to lack of funding.
He also disclosed that surveillance systems around the Presidential Villa were maintained from the NSA’s budget, but approvals to upgrade and sustain them were repeatedly delayed. Despite sending over 30 reminders and holding several meetings with Buhari, Monguno said files were often deferred or redirected back to the Chief of Staff’s office.
Monguno argued that this disconnect between presidential intent and actual execution steadily weakened state capacity. He added that institutional memory suffered as the Special Services Office, which serves as the official secretariat for the intelligence community, was sidelined. As a result, several National Security Council meetings were held without the proper secretariat in place.
He said he resisted proceeding with council meetings after Boss Mustapha became Secretary to the Government of the Federation until the appropriate secretariat was reinstated. Monguno also revealed that he worked without a permanent secretary for nearly 20 months due to political maneuvering, even after Buhari had approved the appointment.
Summing up his experience, Monguno warned that systems do not always collapse through grand conspiracies but through repeated acts of small-scale obstruction. He served as NSA from 2015 to 2023 and, by 2021, was already being viewed as increasingly sidelined, with his role reduced and many of his expectations unmet under the Buhari administration.