Those after me are ‘cyberspace terrorists’, says
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 destabilise the democracy would
be making a mistake.
