Tukur Buratai
The Nigeria Army has come out to admit that its chief, Tukur Buratai, indeed owns assets in Dubai, United Arab Emirate.
However, the army described as “false and misleading” a report that
Mr. Buratai, and his wives, jointly became owners of the properties
following a certain “single” transaction.
According to the army, the two Dubai properties had been officially
declared when Mr. Buratai was appointed Nigeria’s top army officer.
“It is a fact that the Buratai family have two properties in
Dubai that were paid for instalmentally through personal savings three
years ago,” the army said in a statement on Fridayday. “This,
along with other personal assets have consistently been declared by
General Buratai in his Assets Declaration Form as Commander
Multinational Joint Task Force Commander and as Chief of Army Staff”.
According to the statement issued by the acting director army
public relations, Sani Usman, Mr. Buratai, has never owned any bank
account with Skye Bank, as mentioned in the report, and neither was he
ever involved in any contract scam.
The full statement reads below:
“The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to another
round of campaign of calumny against the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant
General Tukur Yusufu Buratai and his family by some unscrupulous
elements as contained in Sahara Reporters story titled “Revealed:
Buhari’s Chief Of Army Staff, General Buratai, Wives Own Dubai
Property”, alleging that Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General
Tukur Buratai, and his two wives are joint owners of a Dubai property
that was paid for in one transaction posted on the website, this
evening.
“It is important to know that these baseless allegations were
not new. In March this year, some groups of individuals under the aegis
of “Concerned Citizens”, tried same smear campaign to their
disappointment, it could not fly, because it is not true.
“You will recall early this week, there was similar campaign
of calumny by yet another online news medium, The Cable, in which among
other things, it alleged that wounded in action Nigerian Army personnel
were abandoned by the Army, government and the nation which is not true.
“Therefore, the latest round of smear campaign by Sahara
Reporters is one of the series of campaigns of calumny by these faceless
individuals to malign the Chief of Army Staff and the Nigerian Army.
Yet, typical of blackmailers and mischief makers despite failures, they
did not give up, hence they now found a willing accomplice reputed for
muckraking like the Sahara Reporters. The online news medium this
evening uploaded another campaign of calumny allegedly based on a
petition by obviously fake and non-existent group it described as
“Concerned Soldiers and Officers from the North East.
“The allegations contained in the Sahara Reporters write up are
baseless and not correct. It is a fact that the Buratai family have two
properties in Dubai that were paid for instalmentally through personal
savings three years ago. This, along with other personal assets have
consistently been declared by General Buratai in his Assets Declaration
Form as Commander Multinational Joint Task Force Commander and as Chief
of Army Staff.
“It is pertinent to state that the Chief of Army Staff does not
have any account with Skye Bank as alleged, let alone making deposits
in the imaginary bank account to the tune of the amount stated in the
write up. Similarly, he has not been involved in any form of shady or
dishonest transaction, not to talk of “contract scam”.
“In addition, General Buratai was never near either Defence
Headquarters or Army Headquarters in 2013. It is pertinent to also note
that he was never a Director of procurement in Army Headquarters as
alleged. As a matter of fact, the Nigerian Army never had a Directorate
of Procurement till when he established one last year when he became
Chief of Army Staff.
“In a bid to rubbish the hard earned reputation and good name
of the Chief of Army Staff, these blackmailers will stop at nothing
hence all these kinds of mudslinging.
“It is really worrisome that some people could condescend so
low to fabricate baseless allegation against the Chief of Army Staff for
reasons that could best be described as mischievous. It is equally
worrisome that Sahara Reporters could lend space for this obvious
mischief. We really do not believe that it is because the price is
right.
“Consequently, the public and indeed all well-meaning persons
should disregard this round of campaign of calumny against the Chief of
Army Staff and similar ones because they are baseless and unfounded.
“For the unscrupulous elements and their cohorts, these
campaigns would prod the Nigerian Army and indeed the Chief of Army
Staff to continue to serve the nation diligently and with utmost zeal”.
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