According to the Save The Nation Movement (STNM) Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, should included in the ongoing probe of abuse of funds meant for the procurement of arms.

“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,” Steven Chilaka, national secretary of the movement, said in a statement issued on Sunday.

“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?

“Curiously too, only retired and serving officers of the Nigerian Air Force were said to have been indicted.

“Was the army being excluded from this probe to save Major General Buratai? Or 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.”


The Cable