Lt. General Tukur Buratai (rtd), a former chief of army staff and ambassador to the Benin Republic, has vehemently refuted claims that he financed terrorists, calling them wholly untrue and at odds with his moral principles.
In a statement signed by Brig. General Sani Kukasheka Usman, a former Army spokesperson, Buratai made this claim on Saturday in reaction to an online investigation that accused him and other well-known individuals of having ties to terrorist financiers.
The statement called the claims “false, unfounded, mischievous” and said they were a part of a smear effort meant to damage Buratai’s reputation. It emphasized that he had never been investigated, questioned, or connected to financing terrorism during his illustrious military career.
“At no point in his distinguished career has he ever been questioned, investigated, indicted, or associated with any such matter by any official body or authority,” the statement said.
“He has never been connected in any way to the funding of terrorism by any security organization, intelligence agency, court, diplomatic mission, oversight mechanism, or administrative body.”
Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi (rtd)’s unconfirmed personal assertions in the Sahara Reporters piece were the only basis for the accusations, which the former Army leader rejected. The publishing, according to him, was a “clear misrepresentation borne out of malice” with neither a factual nor a legal foundation.
In his statement, Buratai also criticized the online newspaper for its repeated attempts over the years to damage his reputation, all of which were unsuccessful because of his long-standing, open, and honorable service to Nigeria.
The statement stated, “Every attempt has failed because his record remains forthright, transparent, and distinguished by honorable service to the nation.”
Buratai had served the nation for more than 40 years with “honor, courage, and steadfast commitment” to combating terrorism, the statement emphasized. It demonstrated his leadership throughout the Nigerian Army’s battle against ISWAP and Boko Haram, which resulted in the resettlement of displaced Nigerians, the recovery of territory, the restoration of civil administration, and a considerable degradation of these terrorist organizations.
The statement further stated, “It defies logic and conscience to suggest that the same person who led decisive actions against terrorism would in any way be associated with the very elements he spent his career confronting.”
Buratai’s legal team ordered that Major General Ali-Keffi (rtd) and Sahara Reporters immediately retract the accusations and apologize in public. The message cautioned that if this wasn’t done, Buratai would have to take legal action to defend his reputation.
According to the statement, “failing to do so will leave us with no option but to initiate appropriate legal proceedings to protect his reputation and seek redress for this malevolent attack.”
