Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has criticised the Nigerian Army for defending the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai over his ownership of properties in Dubai.

Falana urged the Army Chief to invite the Code of Conduct Bureau as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate his purchase of the properties.

The senior lawyer said it was not the business of the Army to speak for Buratai on the allegations while noting that he should be willing enough to clear his name.

“Buratai should willingly invite the CCB, the EFCC, the ICPC to look into the matter”, he said.

“If Buratai was alleged to have unjustly purchased the houses, he has to come out to defend himself. He must show how the money used to purchase the houses was transferred.”

Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, has said Buratai should be probed over the allegation of the Dubai property scandal.

“The defence the army put up for him is so silly to be believed outside the barracks. All the earnings of Buratai since he joined the army, if all were saved, cannot buy a house in Dubai, let alone two.”

“The army also exposed itself as a lying institution when it said Buratai was never in charge of procurement in writing. The investigation should make Buratai to let the country know that he did other businesses to buy the property in question so that the integrity of the anti-corruption war can be intact.”

“The house could only come legitimately through other businesses outside his pay. The savings from the salaries of any army officer in Nigeria cannot buy a house in Dubai.”

Dele Benjamin