Buratai Denies Stealing Billions, Converting FG Properties For Personal Use

By Matthew Ogune, Abuja

FORMER Chief of Army Staff, and Nigeria Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Tukur Yusuf Buratai, a retired Nigerian Army Lieutenant General has denied stealing billions of naira on assumption in office as well as converting properties meant for the Nigerian army to personal property.

Buratai in a statement, signed by his Private Counsel, Osuagwu Ugochukwu, claimed that the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has investigated and cleared the former army chief.

According to Buratai, revelations by the Cooperate Affairs Commission (CAC) clearly showed that he is neither a director nor shareholder in the Nigeria Army Property Limited, maintaining that the claims by some quarters of the media is obviously false.

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Statement reads: “Your publication is nothing but a rehash of a rested subject matter: Dubai Properties. The subject matter which you hastily tried to re-post to the public has since over six years been put to rest by the Federal Authorities.

“The Code of conduct bureau having investigated the matter cleared LT GEN T Y BURATAI of any wrong doing and found him not guilty. So, for you to now recklessly bring forth the same matter to the public domain is an attempt to tarnish the image of the retired Army Chief and which you will have to made to account for your indiscretion within the ambit of the Law.

“Finally, your attempt to bring up the issue of the existence of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL) with the CAC registration of RTD LT GEN T Y BURATAI as one of the directors and thus paint a picture of illegality is rather childish. For your information the existence of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL) is lawful and having the name of the retired Army chief on board is legal. For your information there are other similar CAC registered entities of the Nigeria Army with such private incorporated status. These are Nigerian Army Post Exchange (NAPEX), and Nigerian Army Small Scale Drug Manufacturing Unit (NASDMU). Others are Nigerian Army Welfare Insurance Scheme (NAWIS), Post Service Housing Development (PHD) and Post-Service Homes Savings and Loans (PHL).

“However contrary to the claim by Jackson Ude T Y Buratai from the Reply sent by CAC today clearly shows that T Y Buratai is neither a director nor shareholder in the Nigeria Army Property Limited. The CAC letter is dated 27.04.22. The said claim by Jackson Ude is obviously false .

“With these clarifications, it is now clear that your aim was to slur the image of the retired Army Chief. You are therefore urged to retract those defamatory publications.”