Revealed: Buhari's COAS, General Buratai, Wives Own Dubai Property

Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff (COAS),
General Tukur Buratai, and his two wives
are joint owners of a Dubai property that
was paid for in one transaction. Investigations
by SaharaReporters indicated that the money for
the purchase of the property may have come
from a vehicle contract scam while Mr. Buratai
was the Director of Procurement at the Army HQ.
Sahara discovered that the Nigerian
Army had awarded an apparently bogus contract
for the supply of vehicles and motorcycles for the
use of troops involved in an anti-terrorism
offensive in Nigeria’s beleaguered northeastern
zone.
The allegation that General Buratai might have
pilfered funds meant for the purchase of military
vehicles has sparked outrage among soldiers and
officers, especially those from the northeast part
of the country. Two military sources disclosed
that irate officers had petitioned President
Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to order an
investigation into the contract scam.
In the petition, exclusively obtained by
SaharaReporters, the aggrieved soldiers and
officers, under the umbrella of Concerned
Soldiers and Officers From the North East,
accused the COAS of executing the contract
through a proxy of his. According to the
petitioners, the proxy's name is Usman Gamawa,
founder of Baggash Investment Limited.
The petition stated that, rather than supply new
vehicles as the contract demanded, Mr. Baggash
purchased second-hand vehicles and
motorcycles from Niger Republic. On arrival in
Nigeria, the vehicles were then refurbished at
Mogadishu Cantonment under the supervision of
Staff Sergeant Dadan Garba. SaharaReporters
learned that some of the vehicles and
motorcycles had since broken down.
“If President Buhari can give service chiefs
enough money to buy equipment, why are they
buying old ones?” asked the petitioners, who
added that General Buratai was exposing troops
to grave danger and undermining the war
against Boko Haram terrorists.
Sahara reporter