FCT To Purchase N295m Spy Balloon As Defence Contractor Alleges Fraud

A defence contract scandal is brewing as a defence contractor, Alhaji Rabiu Hassan, has petitioned the presidency claiming that recent contracts approved for the procurement of un-manned aerial vehicles (UAVs) known as drones and aerial surveillance balloon were inflated.

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The balloon, technically called Sky Star Tactical Aerostat System, will be launched into the skies of Abuja where it will hover covering a 6-kilometre-radius area, a defence contractor privy to the deal said.

The cost of the balloon put at $1.9 million (equivalent N295 million), has been approved by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and awaits the FCT minister’s nod. documents show that contract for the supply and installation of the balloon has been approved by the Bureau for Public Procurement and is now awaiting FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed’s nod.

However, an aggrieved defence contractor Alhaji Rabiu Hassan, alleged that the contract has been inflated.

He revealed that the surveillance balloon’s cost is $300,000 but is inflated to $1.9 million. According to the contracts documents, the contract sum includes the costs of seaway or airworthy packing of the equipment and documentation. Terms of the contract indicated that the final execution of the order is subject to the approval of the Ministry of Defence.

Attempts to get comments from the FCT ministry failed yesterday.

Meanwhile, the same contractor, Rabiu Hassan, also alleged that the Federal Government has procured two faulty unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at an inflated cost of $240 million from certain Israeli contractors.

He alleged that the drones are being kept in Benin.

But yesterday, a senior official in the office of the National Security Adviser said he was not aware of the contract this is even as the Nigerian Air Force, which has the capability of handling UAVs said it was not part of the deal.

Hassan also on Sunday alleged that the Federal Government is hiring two Israeli spy satellites at an inflated cost of 145 million Euros (about N29.2). He said the actual cost of the satellites was put at $40 million.

The spy satellites have a 2,000-kilometre radius and are to cover the Nigerian airspace as well as the entire West African region, he alleged further.

Alhaji Rabiu Hassan, who is the chief executive of Hypertech (UK) Limited, said he had petitioned the Presidency and other public agencies on these contracts which he said have high security implications for Nigeria.