The ongoing trial of Maj. Gen. U.M by court-martial for fraud and money laundering has opened a fresh can of worms as the senior military officer narrated how a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.) allowed the sale of houses by the Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL) to politicians and Very Important Personalities (VIPs) at a ridiculous 75 per cent discount.
Mohammed who is being punished at the behest of Buratai, was initially arrested for “terrorism financing” to cover up for the real reason behind his ordeal.
The former ally of Buratai, who spent five years and five months in office, and was the Group Managing Director of NAPL. As the officer in charge of NAPL, controlled army properties across the country. Has confessed that Buratai asked him to pay $730,000 to obtain Saudi Arabia citizenship for him (Buratai) to evade justice for the atrocities committed by the army while he was the chief of staff.
He revealed that the VIPs and politicians are family and friends of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari (President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife), who were used as beneficiaries, to receive the houses on her behalf as a gift from Buratai.
SaharaReporters had on Monday reported that the Nigerian Army prevented journalists from covering the trial of Maj. Gen. Mohammed by court-martial despite claiming that it was an open trial by Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, that the trial “is held in the open” and “not shrouded in secrecy”.
Meanwhile, from the account of a source privy to the proceedings, it was revealed that “during a previous court martial sitting that took place recently, Major General AA Adesope a former Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), who spoke as a witness of the Nigerian Army, testified that he spent only 41 days as the GMD of NAPL.”
According to Adesope, he was posted out of NAPL because he made a report of misappropriation and allocation of houses made to civilians who bought properties with a discount of 75%.
Maj. Gen. Mohammed, in his defence, testified “On March 19, Buratai directed one Lt. Col. Christy to make payment for the houses allocated to the VVIPs and politicians to Access Bank with account name FCCNAPL and account number 0769911478.”
When Adesope took over NAPL and found out about the allocation to the civilians and 75% discount, he quickly made a report to Lt. Gen. Buratai (Rtd), accusing me of misappropriation without reaching out to me for verification.
Gen. Buratai now called me to find out how Adesope got to know about the allocation and discount, I told him it was captured in the sales records handed over to Adesope. Buratai became so annoyed and ordered his posting out as GMD, that was why Adesope spent only 41 days in NAPL.”
The VVIPs and politicians are family and friends of Aisha Buhari who were used as beneficiaries, to receive the houses on her behalf as a gift from Gen. Buratai.”
Sources also said that Mohammed told the special court that on the orders of Buratai, he also released funds for trips for the wives of the former Army chief and some military activities like the movement of people when Buhari opened the Nigerian Army University in Biu, Borno State.
For instance, the last one he gave evidence and this is in evidence in court that about $700,000 was used. He (Buratai) instructed him to process a Saudi Arabia residence permit for him.
“He also gave evidence of how several thousands of dollars he was ordered to release to some mallams (Islamic clerics) whom he said were praying for his administration. They were the ones that will censor any activities that he was going to undertake.
“For instance, the appointment of some persons or posting of some military officers; those ones whose names will be submitted to the mallams to determine in the spirit whether they would be loyal or not. So those things were funded in hundreds of thousands of dollars, he gave this in evidence.
“And then besides several international trips, he would ask the man to give out money. This involved several Generals, even some who were sitting as members of the panel. They also benefited from some of the foreign trips. They were paid hundreds of thousands in estacodes.”
“If your boss asks you to do something and then you say no, that is insubordination and that was the reason why he used NAPL to fund personal and official activities in the military.”
Another source said, “In one, Mohammed told us how over N26 million was released to build piggery. What they were doing was directing him to release money. Mind you, they would call him while he was still serving as the MD of NAPL and a military officer.
Since 2019, Buratai has used his position to buy properties for politicians including the First Lady, Aisha Buhari and also used the NAPL to fund President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 presidential campaign”.
“You know, in the military, orders are given orally and you do not disobey it. He (Buratai) would call him and ask him to release a certain amount of money. So that is how he was giving instructions and money was being released.”
According to sources, the Army authorities had restricted public access and any form of visitation to the general.
It was learnt that Mohammed who hails from Niger state is senior to the current Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya, having been part of 36 Regular Course of the Nigerian Army.
Sources revealed that normally Mohammed ought to have retired two years ago, adding that because of the intention of the army authorities to punish him, “the army authorities refused to retire him, instead kept him in detention.”
Sources also revealed that Mohammed had agreed to expose Buratai when the late Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru became the Chief of Army Staff. Unfortunately, before he could “spill the beans, Attahiru died under tragic circumstances.
