How Mamman Daura–Led Cabal Undermined Buhari and Crippled National Security – Ex-NSA Monguno Reveals

Former National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), has made far-reaching revelations about how a powerful inner circle within the presidency during Muhammadu Buhari’s administration allegedly sabotaged Nigeria’s national security apparatus. According to Monguno, this group—widely described as a “cabal” and allegedly led by Buhari’s nephew, Mamman Daura—operated with enormous influence, accumulated vast personal wealth, and deliberately weakened key security institutions, including the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Monguno’s disclosures are contained in From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, a book authored by Charles Omole. In it, the former NSA argues that many of the security challenges Nigeria faced during Buhari’s presidency were not simply a result of insurgency or limited state capacity, but of internal sabotage and power struggles within the presidency itself.

One of the most striking episodes recounted by Monguno involved the Presidential Air Fleet. He said he received a sensitive briefing from the commander of the fleet, who informed him that the company supplying aircraft services to the presidency was under investigation. According to the commander, a possible indictment of the company would pose serious national security risks, given the sensitive nature of presidential movements.

Monguno said he immediately relayed the intelligence to President Buhari and advised that the supplier be replaced in the interest of national security. Buhari, he claimed, accepted the assessment and formally approved the recommendation. However, what should have been a routine security decision soon triggered internal resistance.

Shortly after the approval, Monguno said he was confronted by the late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, who demanded to know why the decision had been taken. This confrontation, Monguno suggested, marked the beginning of open hostility against his office by powerful actors within the presidency who were displeased that their interests had been threatened.

According to Monguno, the situation escalated further when the Minister of Finance—whom he described as being loyal to Mamman Daura—was allegedly mobilised to block funding to the Office of the NSA, despite the president’s explicit approval of budgets and security expenditures. He alleged that funds critical to intelligence operations, surveillance systems, and international security partnerships were deliberately withheld.

“The Minister of Finance, who owed loyalty to Mamman Daura, was co-opted to withhold funds from the NSA’s office even after Buhari’s approval,” Monguno stated. “Buhari and Nigerians were both victims of a cabal that enriched itself beyond measure.”

The consequences of this funding freeze, Monguno explained, were severe. Funds he inherited from his predecessor were quickly exhausted, while subscriptions for critical security systems expired. Strategic collaborations with foreign intelligence partners lapsed due to unpaid obligations, weakening Nigeria’s ability to gather and act on intelligence. Even surveillance infrastructure around the Presidential Villa—maintained through the NSA’s budget—suffered neglect, as repeated requests for approval to upgrade and maintain systems were delayed or ignored.

Monguno also recalled how his authority was repeatedly undermined through informal counter-directives. Even after Buhari approved certain appointments or policy decisions, powerful gatekeepers within the presidency allegedly issued conflicting instructions, rendering presidential approvals ineffective.

“You do not need a conspiracy to weaken a system,” Monguno observed. “You only need petty sabotage repeated often enough.”

These revelations align with earlier reports from Monguno’s tenure. In December 2019, he wrote a strongly worded memo accusing Abba Kyari of unprofessional and unconstitutional interference in national security affairs. In that letter, Monguno warned service chiefs against taking directives from the Chief of Staff, stating that Kyari had no constitutional authority to preside over security meetings or issue instructions to security agencies without the NSA’s involvement.

According to Monguno, such interference not only undermined the authority of the president but also contributed to Nigeria’s inability to contain rising insecurity, including terrorism, banditry, and mass kidnappings.

Taken together, Monguno’s account paints a picture of an administration where formal institutions were weakened by informal power structures, and where the president himself was, in his words, a victim of those closest to him. The revelations have reignited debates about governance, accountability, and the dangers of unchecked influence within the highest levels of power—lessons that many believe future Nigerian leaders must take seriously.