Group Says Buratai Involved In Arms Deal Fraud

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may have launched another probe against Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai.

Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai

A group known as Save The Nation Movement (STNM) advises anti-graft commission to include Buratai in the current investigation of abuse of funds meant for the purchase of weapons in the war against Boko Haram.

The group wondered why President Muhammadu Buhari didn’t include the COAS into the list of retired and serving officers of the Nigeria air force and Nigerian army that must be investigated by the EFCC.

However, Buratai, who was said to be the director of purchase between 2012 and 2015, was omitted.

Steven Chilaka, national secretary of the movement, said in a statement published on January 24, Sunday: “Major General Tukur Buratai was appointed director of procurement DHQ in 2012, a position he held until May 2015 that he was appointed force commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTNF), an appointment he held till he became chief of army staff.”

“As director of public procurement at the DHQ, all procurements by the military between 2012 and May 2015 passed through his office. Our question is; how can you probe procurement of arms within this period without the involvement of Major General Buratai, the man who was the director of procurement?

“Could procurements have been made without his involvement during the period that he was director of procurement?

“Definitely, it won’t be funny if President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption is also selective against the military as it already appears to be against the political class and the president must look into this obvious case of selective probe as a matter of urgency.”

President Buhari has last week directed the anti-corruption commission to “carry out further investigation into the misconduct established against some retired and serving officers of the Nigeria air force and Nigerian army.”

Garba Shehu, president’s media aide, who issued Buhari’s order in a statement, clarified that the committee launched to review the procurement of weapons and equipment in the armed forces from 2007 to 2015, had recommended 20 serving and retired military personnel for probe.

Source: Naij.com