(Onitsha Nigeria, 27th of June 2016)-The Southeast
Based Coalition of Human Rights Organizations (SBCHROs) comprising: International Society for Civil Liberties
& the Rule of Law (Intersociety), Anambra
State Branch of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Center for Human Rights
& Peace Advocacy (CHRPA), Human Rights Club (a project of LRRDC)(HRC),
Forum for Justice, Equity & Defense of Human Rights (FJEDHR), Society
Advocacy Watch Project (SPAW), Anambra Human Rights Forum (AHRF), Southeast
Good Governance Forum (SGGF), International Solidarity for Peace & Human
Rights Initiative (ITERSOLIDARITY) and Igbo Ekunie Initiative (pan Igbo rights
advocacy group) are not surprised over the statement of the Nigeria’s
Minister of Defense concerning the criminal acquisition and ownership of
multi-billion properties by serving Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Turkur Buratai.
Some of the corrupt and criminal properties have been uncovered and traced to
Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and North-central Nigeria by the authorities
of the Sahara Reporters.
The Nigeria’s Defense Minister, Muhammad
Mansur Dan-Ali, had last night, joined the Nigerian Army in defending the
fraudulent and criminal acquisition and ownership of multi-billion properties
by the serving Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Turkur Buratai (a.k.a. Buratai De
Butcher). The properties, according to detailed, comprehensive, factual and grounded
investigations conducted by the authorities of the Sahara Reporters, are
located in Dubai (UAE) and North-central Nigeria (along Keffi-Abuja Expressway).
They include a multi-billion huge industrial-scale farm, located on Abuja-Keffi
Expressway in North-central Nigeria and two choice private dwelling estates in
Dubai, UAE. The Farm is registered as “Turkur & Turkur Farm Limited” and
comprises of “a huge construction site, featuring a tarred road, a zoo, a
guesthouse, chalets, a restaurant, a cinema hall, a mini-stadium and other
leisure facilities,”. A highly dependable source also told Sahara Reporters
that “some of the equipment on the farm site belongs to the Nigerian Army”.
The
fraudulent Dubai properties are comprised of two multi-million naira private estates,
corruptly acquired on January 13, 2013, July 24th and August 17th
2015. This is contained in the Sahara Reporters’ latest update contained in the
link provided below. Lt Gen Turkur Buratai was appointed by President Muhammadu
Buhari as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff on July 13th, 2015. While
the authorities of the Buhari’s administration particularly the Army and
Defense authorities are busy engaging in fruitless and watery defense of the
obvious criminality of the COAS, the authorities of the Sahara Reporters have
gone ahead to update its widely read and commendable report with
additional information cited above.
The
following links contain Sahara Reporters’ original report and its updated
segment:
(1)http://saharareporters.com/2016/06/24/revealed-buharis-chief-army-staff-general-buratai-wives-own-dubai-property.
(2)http://saharareporters.com/2016/06/27/general-buratai-bought-second-dubai-property-days-after-appointment-chief-army-staff
We invite all Nigerians and members of the
international community to click on the links above and read and study the
comprehensive reports. The Defense Minister had in his last night statement,
described Nigerians demanding for thorough investigation and prosecution of the
COAS as “disgruntled and unpatriotic
elements” and further said that “the army chief was transparent about the
properties as he declared them more than one to both the Nigerian Army and the
Code of Conduct”. The Defense Minister’s statement is contained in the
following link: http://www.thetrentonline.com/fg-defends-buratai-dubai-houses-blames/ .
Further to these watery and defenseless statements is the
parasitic advocacy positions taken on the issue by image-launderer CSOs,
hired by the COAS to clean up his messiest roles in butchering and massacring
of over 900 unarmed, defenseless and nonviolent Nigerian citizens including
over 700 Shiite Muslim faithful and over 200 pro Biafra agitators between 2nd
December 2015 and 30th May 2016. The COAS had become panicky since
then, particularly his possible arrest regionally and internationally over
crimes against humanity; leading to recruitment of some compromised persons and
their groups to launder his deadly damaged image. This they call:
“military-civil relations”.
We had just yesterday, 27th of June 2016,
issued a strong worded statement alerting the world of sustained efforts by the
Buhari administration to sweep the issue of COAS illicit wealth and criminal
property acquisition and ownership under the carpet. Less than 24hours after
the issuance of the informed statement, we were roundly vindicated following
the Defense Minister’s cover-up statement under reference, in which he further
accused “disgruntled and unpatriotic elements” of deliberately releasing the
report to tarnish Buratai’s image so as to derail the counter-terrorism and
counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
The following link contains our statement under
reference: http://globalreportersnews.com/2016/06/before-dubai-criminal-properties-of-buratai-the-butcher-are-swept-under-the-carpet/. The statement can also be accessed in
other media such as the Trent Online, the Nigerian NewsExpress, the Nigerian
Voice, the Elombah Reports, the Fact Reporters, the StreetReporters, the
Chidiopara Reports, the Global ReportersVienna, the Republic Reports, the
News247, the Global Watch Reports, the Igbere News Reports, the Nigerian
Masterweb Reports, the InnosReports, the Odogwu Reports, the Nigerian
LawyerReports, the Authority Newspaper and the Vanguard Newspaper, to mention
but a few.
Provided
below with pictures and facts is key aspect of
the updated segment of the report, issued after detailed and
comprehensive investigation by the authorities of the Sahara Reporters: “General
Buratai 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. On July 13, 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari
appointed General Buratai as Chief of Army Staff. Our investigations show that,
within 11 days of his appointment, the general was making arrangements for the
purchase of a second property from the same company in Dubai. Our investigators
obtained evidence that, between July 24 and August 17, 2015, General Buratai
paid a total sum of N42.2 million into TFG Sigma 111’s account in Nigeria (Skye
Bank 1770380452).
Evidence exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters reveal that General 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 shows 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. Gen. TY Buratai's properties in
Nigeria Gen. TY Buratai's Farm near Abuja
Our
sources within the Army disclosed that the lodgments came from Army funds
stolen and diverted by General Buratai. They explained that the diverted monies
were taken from funds budgeted for the feeding, medical care and payment of
allowances of soldiers fighting the war against Islamist insurgents in
Nigeria’s northeast zone. Gen. TY Buratai's multibillion naiara business
near Abuja
Our sources also stated that the funds for General Buratai’s first Dubai
property came from a contract awarded for the supply of vehicles and
motorcycles to the Army. They asserted that General Buratai had cornered the
contract in his days as Director of Procurement at the Army Headquarters, using
a front identified as Usman Gamawa. “The contract was awarded for the purchase
of new vehicles, but Alhaji Gamawa's Baggash Investment Limited bought
second-hand vehicles and motorcycles from Niger Republic for the use of
soldiers,” said one source. He said the purchase of substandard vehicles
exposed troops engaged counter-insurgency operations to heightened danger, made
them vulnerable to attacks by Boko Haram insurgents, and reduced their
effectiveness. General Tukur Buratai's exotic
snake farm near Abuja
Army
sources disclosed that, on arrival in Nigeria, the vehicles and motorcycles
supplied by General Buratai’s front, Mr. Gamawa, were taken for refurbishment
at Mogadishu Cantonment under the supervision of one Sergeant Dandan Garba. The deposits made at Skye Bank for
Dubai property number 2
Angered by the deplorable state of the vehicles and motorcycles, a group
known as Concerned Soldiers and Officers From The Northeast petitioned
President Muhammadu Buhari to demand an investigation into the financial
malfeasance perpetrated by General Buratai. A member of the group told
SaharaReporters that they want President Buhari to ask General Buratai to
explain where he got money for his various assets, including the real estate in
Dubai. He said the COAS also owns a huge industrial-scale farm, Tukur and Tukur
Farm Limited, on the Abuja-Keffi Expressway. “The farm is currently a huge
construction site, featuring a tarred road, a zoo, a guesthouse, chalets, a
restaurant, a cinema hall, a mini-stadium and other leisure facilities,” said
the source, adding that some of the equipment on the site belongs to the Army”.
The lame duck and defenseless position taken by the
Buhari administration on the high profile criminality under reference has
further exposed its gross insincerity in its so called “fight against
corruption” and extensively vindicated those who maintain till date that the
Buhari administration is not only corruption friendly but also hides under
“anti corruption” to persecute and humiliate its opponents. On account of such
facts laden and strong accusations leveled against a serving military officer,
what a reasonable and popular government should have done is to relieve the
accused of his duties immediately and subject him and his accusers to further
thorough and conclusive investigations and diligent prosecution so as to retain
public trust and confidence as well as to proof to members of the international
community and other serving public officials that there is no immunity for
political corruption and abuse of office.
By shamelessly informing Nigerians and members of the
international community that the COAS, Lt Turkur Buratai, “was transparent in
his acquisition and ownership of the corrupt properties, locally and
internationally, having declared them more than one to army and Code of Conduct
in his Assets Declaration Forms”; the Buhari administration is also telling
Nigerians and members of the international community that once a public
official loots the public funds by way of cash or acquisition and ownership of
illicit properties locally or internationally or both and have them declared in
his or her Assets Declaration Forms; he or she is immune from criminal
investigation and prosecution over corruption; and that any Nigerian public
official including a serving soldier can acquire as many illicit foreign and
local properties or steal billions from public coffers as possible and go scot
free, provided he or she includes them in his or her Assets Declaration Forms.
If this is so, why then is Buhari administration
arresting and detaining dozens of Nigerians unconstitutionally with many
spending as much as over 90 days or three months in pretrial detentions without
formal charge and trial? Why is Buhari administration threatening and
intimidating judges over the bail proceedings of those processing their
judicial bails after long and months of unconstitutional detentions?
From our extensive investigations, Nigeria’s criminal
justice codes contain over 22 anti corruption institutions and numerous
provisions. One of such numerous provisions applicable in Lt Gen Turkur
Buratai’s illicit properties’ case is Section 17 (1) of the Economic &
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Establishment Act of 2004 (2002). It clearly
provides as follows: A person who, without lawful authority
(a) engages
in the acquisition, possession or use of property knowing at the time of its
acquisition, possession or use that such property was derived from any offence
referred to in this section, or
(b) engages
in the management, organisation of financing of any of the offences under this
Act; or
(c) engages
in the conversion or transfer of property knowing that such property is derived
from any offence under this Act; or
(d) engages
in the concealment or disguise of the true nature, source, location,
disposition, movement, rights with respect to or ownership of property knowing
that such property is derive4 from any offence referred to in this section,
commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to the penalties
provided in Subsection (2) of this section.
(2) The
penalties for offences under subsection (I) of this section shall be
imprisonment for a term not less than fifteen years and not exceeding
twenty-five years.
Also, Section 12 (1) of the Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences (ICPC) Establishment Act of 2004 (2000) provides as
follows: Any person who, being employed in the public service, knowingly
acquires or holds, directly or indirectly, otherwise than as a member of a
registered joint stock company consisting of more than twenty (20) persons, a
private interest in any contract, agreement or investment emanating from or
connected with the department or office in which he is employed or which is
made on account of the public service, is guilty of an offence, and shall on
conviction be liable to imprisonment for seven (7) years.
Further, by military tradition, doctrine and convention, a
serving military officer is forbidden from acquiring and owning properties
locally and internationally while still serving. Lt Gen Tukur Buratai as a
soldier and serving military officer in Nigeria has been under the payroll and
upkeep of the Federal Republic of Nigeria since he was enlisted into the
Nigerian Army on 3rd January 1981. All his NDA and post NDA academic
and local and foreign in-service training expenses are borne by the Federal
Republic of Nigeria till date using tax payers and other public funds. His
official leisure, shelter, clothing, accommodation, medical, feeding and family
expenses are also borne by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
While on international peacekeeping duties, his office and
personal upkeep are borne by the UN and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. On
retirement, Lt Gen Turkur Buratai is also entitled to specified gratuities and
other emoluments as a retiring public official. He is pensionable too. These
explain why he has no excuse under the law and convention to engage in looting
public funds, not to talk of acquiring and owning multi-billion house estates
and industrial-size farm.
We therefore seize this opportunity to commend and
congratulate the authorities of Sahara Reporters for their excellent
investigatory report, clad with pictures, dates and indisputable statistics.
Their latest update is also commendable. With this reports of theirs, the
Sahara Reporters may most likely re-launch itself successfully into
detribalized popularity and readership acceptance among Nigerians of limitless
tribe, religion, language and culture; if sustained.
The online media owned by Nigerians are also congratulated
exceptionally for providing effective checks on democratic excesses. They have
also taken over the democratic checks and balances functions hitherto performed
by traditional newspaper, radio and television media establishments in Nigeria,
now hijacked and owned by corrupt serving and former public office holders.
Exception to this, deserving our special commendation is the authorities of the
Vanguard Newspaper. We Say: Keep the candle of light and freedom burning
ceaselessly and remember: evil triumphed where good people slumbered!
It is extremely important to remind the mass media their
sacred roles as clearly spelt out by Section 22 of the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which directs them as follows: “the Press, radio,
television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to
uphold the Fundamental Objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold the
responsibility and accountability of the Government to the People”.
It is on these notes that we firmly call on the Government of
Gen Muhammadu Buhari to sack the COAS, Lt Gen Turkur Buratai and subject him to
thorough and conclusive investigation for the purpose of possibly unearthing
other loots and illicit properties in his name and ownership and making him to
face the law so as to serve as a deterrent to others and retain public
confidence and trust as per fight against corruption (if any). In the event the
COAS continues to be shielded, defended and protected by the Buhari
administration, then all those in detention over the accusations of
“corruption” should be freed, apologised to and heavily compensated. To be
freed too are those detained over false accusation of treason and treasonable
felony. We will further take it to mean that the Buhari administration has lost
moral uprightness and should therefore resign from office.
Signed:
For:
Southeast Based Coalition of Human Rights Organizations (SBCHROs)
Emeka
Umeagbalasi, Leader SBCHROs & Board Chair, Intersociety
Mobile
Line: +2348174090052
Comrade
Aloysius Attah, Chair, Anambra CLO & Head, Publicity, SBCHROs
Mobile
Line: +2348035090548
Jerry Chukwuokoro, PhD, Head, Research & Strategy,
SBCHROs
Mobile Line: +2348035372962
nice
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