See Why These Governors Were Called Economic Saboteurs

Despite biting economic recession in Nigeria, governors, their wives and deputy governors of states in the country have continued to splash money on expensive bulletproof vehicles – At least, all governors and their deputies have at least 2 armoured car in the convoy while some governor’s wives of at least one armoured vehicle

Despite biting economic recession in Nigeria, governors, their wives and deputy governors of states in the country have continued to splash money on expensive bulletproof vehicles, Punch investigation has revealed. With the average cost of an armoured vehicle put at about N75m, JPA Armouring Group, an armoured vehicle manufacturer in Germany, gave  the cost of a bulletproof 2014 Lexus LX 570 at €192,000 (N89.3m), an armoured 2015 Toyota Prado starts from €125,000 (N58.1), while the cost of an armoured Toyota Land Cruiser starts from €149,000 (N69.2m), excluding shipping costs. 

The report revealed that all governors and their deputies have at least 2 armoured car in the convoy while some governor’s wives of at least one armoured vehicle. While, the  Bauchi State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, and his deputy, Mr. Nuhu Gidado, have three bulletproof cars, there are no fewer than six bulletproof vehicles in the fleet of the Osun state Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola. Three Mercedes Benz product, a bus, G-Class, and a 4matic and two Toyota Land cruisers with his deputy Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, owning one armoured Toyota Land cruiser. 

Cross River state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, has four bulletproof vehicles. This is in addition to four others used by his deputy, Prof. Ivara Esu, and the wife of the governor, Dr. Lynda Ayade.

There are two bulletproof Ford Expedition SUVs were among the fleet of the Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Masari. Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, and his wife, Olukemi, have three bulletproof SUVs while his Niger state counterpart, Abubakar Bello, and his wife were said to have two bulletproof vehicles in their fleet. Similarly the report added that two armoured Mercedes Benz G-wagons were in the fleet of the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun as they are about five exotic cars in the convoy of Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed. He has a Range Rover and E-Class Mercedes Benz bulletproof cars. His wife, Omolewa’s Lexus SUV and Prado SUV were also suspected to be bulletproof vehicles. The situation is the same in Enugu, Abia and Anambra states. 

While the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has three armoured cars in his fleet, Abia state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has two armoured cars in his fleet. Governor Mohammed Bindow of Adamawa State, his Delta state counterpart, Ifeanyi Okowa, have many armoured vehicles in their fleet. But an economist, Dr. Babatunde Abraham, described the governors’ action as economic sabotage. “It is not only when vandals destroy pipelines that we have economic sabotage. Spending state resources extravagantly is also economic sabotage. Even if there is no hunger, it is wasteful for any governor to have more than one bulletproof car, if they need it at all,” he said. Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has come under heavy attack from civil rights groups over the N2.2tn domestic debt in the last one year.