Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recovered N1.85 billion from a house registered to someone fronting for Buratai.
A traditional ruler in Osun State, Olowu of Owu Kuta, Oba Adekunle Oyelude Makama, says media terrorists are behind the alleged disinformation making the rounds about the former Chief of Army Staff, Ambassador Tukur Yusuf Buratai.
SaharaReporters had exclusively reported how the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recovered N1.85 billion from a house registered to someone fronting for Buratai.
SaharaReporters gathered that the huge cash was part of the billions of naira earmarked for the purchase of arms and ammunition by the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
Reacting, the monarch, Makama, boasted that “those trying to pull him (Buratai) down will have so many of us to contend with”, as he claimed it is “the most unpatriotic act” for Nigerians to condemn and insult Buratai.
“Let me state that those trying to pull him down will have so many of us to contend with, hence they are advised to desist from media terrorism against Buratai,” he added.
Findings, however, revealed that Makama is a close ally of Buratai and has been with him for a while.
A visit to his Facebook page also revealed the closeness between the duo and deep sycophancy as it is filled with different posts by the monarch hailing the ex-Army chief.
“He met Buratai in 2018 and he became relevant and started exhibiting flamboyance after meeting with Buratai and since became close as Buratai found a willing Kakaaki pandering his ego and a friendship was formed. It is because of this the king made Buratai the Jagunmolu of Saki land.
“He claimed to be doing advocacy for the Nigerian Army, but he was actually praise-singing Buratai because of the alleged inducement and gratification he regularly gets from him (Buratai).
“Before 2018 when he met Buratai, he was not prominent and rich but after their meeting, the king always boasts of his closeness with Buratai. In fact, his palace is littered with pictures of Buratai,” a source said.
Buratai’s History of Graft
Despite the recent scandal, Buratai has had a series of corruption scandals but usually uses his influence to stop investigation and prosecution.
SaharaReporters had in a series of publications in 2016 exposed how Buratai procured expensive assets in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, between 2013 and 2015, from proceeds of crime.
He and his two wives in 2013 paid the sum of 1,498,534.00 AED (N120 million/$419,000) for the first property, Project TFG Marina Hotel Unit 2711.
Sale documents indicated that the first property was handed over to the Buratais on January 13, 2013.
Eleven days after he was appointed by President Buhari, the retired Army General made arrangements for the purchase of a second property from the same company in Dubai.
Between July 24 and August 17, 2015, he paid a total sum of N42.2 million into TFG Sigma 111’s account in Nigeria (Skye Bank 1770380452).
Evidence exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters revealed that Buratai made N10 million payments on July 24 and August 7 respectively.
Three days later, another N10 million was paid into the real estate firm’s account. The phone number on the Skye Bank teller is 08033349740. Saharareporters investigations showed that it belonged to a Nigerian Army Major, Emmanuel G. Adegbola of the Nigerian Army Finance Corps (N/10808).
On August 17, 2015, the Chief of Army Staff paid the sum of N3,270,000 into the account.
Buratai, who owned up to purchasing the two properties in Dubai, however, claimed that he amassed his wealth through “personal savings” and not ill-gotten gains.