By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

ABUJA—The Federal Government has commenced a special audit into the payrolls of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who met with the audit team in Abuja yesterday, said the audit was urgent and critical, given the recent revelation of payroll leakages in the military.

The minister said: “Given the revelations and news that are coming out, we have challenges with the payrolls of the Armed Forces.

“We have the plan to bring in all the ministries into the IPPIS before year end, but in the interim, we just thought that it is necessary to respond to the allegations and revelations of the excesses on their payrolls.

“I discussed with the Minister (of Defence) and the Permanent Secretary of the need for the continuous audit team to do some work on the military payrolls to give more assurance that every Naira that is going to the military for their payrolls is actually valid.”

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Danjuma Sheni, disclosed that the special audit was initiated by himself and the Minister of Defence, Brig. Gen. Monsur Dan-Ali (rtd), following the revelations of huge payroll frauds that had taken place in the military, with a view to ascertaining the current position.