BURATAI: SAHARA REPORTERS STOP MISLEADING US WITH YOUR FAKE NEWS.
By Olorunfemi Adejuyigbe
The National Coordinator Fusion 774, a political support and Socio-economic advocacy group, Cmrd Sadiq Jikta, while reacting to a report by Sahara reporters and some online news media, on the report of 23rd June,2022. Involving Amb. T Y Buratai, the former Chief of Army staff (COAS) and Ambassador to Benin Republic, said;
“Our attention has been drawn to a malicious report by Sahara reporters titled: Exclusive: Anti_graft Agency, ICPC Uncovers Billions in Cash meant for Arms Ammunition To Fight Boko Haram in Abuja Home of Ex-Chief of Army Staff, other online news media also had shares of their misleading reports.
Those reports are unsubstantiated, fake, mischievous and the figment of their imagination. It is unfortunate that such widely followed news media platform will engage in smear campaign. Sahara reporters have the reputation for peddling fake news.
After I read through the misleading publications, I chatted with the Ambassador, called people around him, he was surprised in hearing the fake news himself. I even went further to calling a friend at ICPC who debunked the news and informed me of their official public statement that cleared the Ambassador.
I can authoritatively say that those reports were false targeted to smear and rubbish the image and reputation the gentleman have built for himself over the years.
I wonder what they intend to achieve by fabricating lies just for attacking his hard earned reputation.
How could someone that left office for over two years give out arm contract? This report is false in all totality. Does it mean he still run the office of the COAS even after retirement? This is ridiculous and sound too petty.
In case you don’t know, let me give you a hint of the type of person that he is. A lot of contractors have approached him after leaving office to influence military contracts for them, but he declined, telling them to go and try their luck, that he doesn’t believe in interfering in another man’s job, that when he did his era he didn’t condone interference. So he will not do it to his predecessors. Also when I heard of 50 watches and Rolex I laughed, this is someone that leads a moderate life style, any body that knows the Ambassador knows that he is not a flashy type of person.
It has been made known that available facts indicate that the property is not his, it is owned by owner of K Salam Construction Company, a military contractor. This is a misrepresentation of facts.
The good thing is ICPC have come out to give public statement dissociating him from the reports. This is just a media trial by some mischief makers. Period.
