$1.5m Dubai assets: DHQ to decide Army chief’s fate

Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai

The Presidency has left the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) to determine Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai’s fate, following the outcry over his $1.5 million Dubai property.

PRNigeria,  the military under-cover media machinery, yesterday said the government investigated and cleared Lt.-Gen. Buratai over his assets.

Although the platform was silent on whether it was the Ministry of Defence or the DHQ that cleared Gen. Buratai, it said the nature of his offshore investments was based on capital market principles of shareholding.

Gen. Buratai has been under attack for allegedly buying two property in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The property are allegedly owned by the top soldier  and his two wives.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The Presidency has asked the Defence Headquarters to handle issues on some assets traced to Lt.-Gen. Buratai and his wives in the UAE.

“The DHQ will determine his fate on whether or not he has violated any law and if he has to be sanctioned or not.

“Whatever the DHQ’s findings will be forwarded to the commander-in-chief.  Let the military conduct its findings in line with its rules and regulations.”

But, according to PRNigeria, the government looked into the allegations against Buratai and cleared him of any fraudulent deal.

It said the discreet probe of Buratai indicated that he and his wives only bought shares in some companies instead of wholly owning the property

The PRNigeria said: “The capital market principle that governed the property in issue, as it was found by investigators, was akin to having shares in companies instead of wholly owning the property.

“The government, after investigating a recent media report over the acquisition of propertiys in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) by General Buratai, discovered that he and his wives invested as “shareholders” like many other persons in the property mentioned in the publications and were not the sole owners.”

Chief of Army Staff Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai has described those accusing him of corrupt enrichment as cyberspace terrorists.

He said he would defeat them like he did Boko Haram terrorists.

The military chief spoke with reporters in Abuja yesterday.

Gen. Buratai said: “I am not supposed to comment on this, but for clarity sake, my take on the issue is that we have already defeated the terrorists on land, and they have migrated to the cyberspace and Internet, but I want to assure the Boko Haram that have migrated to the cyberspace, that we would follow them to the cyberspace and defeat them.”

He said he was not deterred by “the campaign of calumny against” him and his office. He advised the media to always put national interest above personal issues.

On the Chibok girls, the COAS said: “You have been told that two of the Chibok girls have been rescued. The most important thing is that those who have been rescued were all abducted from Chibok, either in school or not. I know as it is now, the issue of the Chibok girls has been politicised, and we are not deterred by this politicisation of this issue. Our own task is professional, and we are working hard to ensure that we rescue the girls wherever they may be. Anybody who we rescued is as important as the Chibok girls. We are gathering more information on where these girls are; they may have been scattered, or are in one place. Our aim is to ensure they are rescued, and every other person that is held hostage is rescued. We are still searching for them, and if they are alive, we will rescue them.”

The Army chief added that no part of the country is under the control of the terrorists.

“When we say that the terrorists have been defeated and they are not holding any territory, have they come out to say that they holding any territory? None of them will claim they are holding any territory. Secondly, if you see the landscape of the Northeast, it is large. Many people are scattered in many communities, and they prefer to stay in their communities. Some of them are being terrorised in their locations because they prefer to stay in their communities. These terrorists would come at night to terrorise them, and go away.

Gen. Buratai said due process was followed in the retirement of officers of the Army. He hailed some of them that  have decided to go to court, and said the Army would meet them in court.

He said the military would remain apolitical, and not allow the recent statement on coup lie low, as  anyone trying to destablise the democracy would be making a mistake.