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Why History will Continue To remember General Ambassador (Dr) Buratai As immediate past Chief of Army Staff
The vision and leadership style of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Army, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai (retired), is a case study when we think of military leadership and strategy in modern times. It is the focussed vision and leadership style that stood him even among his contemporaries as he motivated troops and accomplished so much. It would be understating the fact to state that Nigerian troops never recorded more significant successes against Boko Haram than they did under the immediate past Chief of Army Staff’s tenure. It is on record that he put in tremendous efforts to ensure his troops were motivated with different welfare packages initiated by him for their comfort.
Prior to his appointment as the Chief of Army Staff by President Muhammadu Buhari, the military was losing its officers and men in large numbers. Thus, Buratai’s focus was to improve on the military’s operational achievements. He made a success of it and the result was the unprecedented successes in the counterinsurgency operation he is being credited for even after he exited office.
Within three months of his appointment, Buratai demonstrated his leadership capability by showing that he indeed understood the terrain of the North East, the epicenter of the insurgency. He took the war to Boko Haram and his soldiers recaptured and hoisted the Nigerian flag in Gamboru Ngala, which served as Boko Haram’s main operational base. The insurgents were chased to their Sambisa Forest hideout where troops of the Operation Lafia Dole proudly displayed vital insignias of the sect including a Holy Quran and flags of the sect’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, on national television to the admiration of Nigerians.
Improving the welfare of the army was vital in his agenda. His major policy therefore was directly for the benefit of the troops. He ensured that they were in right frame of mind in their duty. Buratai would go to any length to see and meet the troops’ needs at every point in time. Under his leadership, priority was given to the equipment used by the military to combat the insurgents, among other steps taking by him. The allowances and bonuses of the military were paid as at when due.
His concentration was centered on identifying the most pressing problems that troops and their families were facing, the needs associated with those challenges, and he utilized the resources available to meet those needs. It was also to his credit that the fighting troops were provided with constant water supply to meet their daily needs and to stabilize them emotionally and psychologically. As part of efforts to encourage his men, General Buratai on Tuesday July 25, 2017 approved the promotion of 6,199 soldiers involved in the fight against Boko Haram under his watch.
In the basic responsibilities of a leader which include accomplishment of the mission and the welfare of the soldiers, Buratai was not found wanting. He established Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches, built and commissioned block of flats at Jaji, Khobe Cantonment, Jos in Plateau State and the Danjuma Chalets at 2 Division Headquarters. The former Army chief also renovated a lot of projects he met on ground and initiated water projects including the Supply and Transport Foods and new Command Guest Houses.
Buratai’s contributions to national, regional and international peace have not gone unnoticed here at home and abroad, which, obviously, led to his being appointed a non-career ambassador after a successful military career.
In terms of projects, capacity building, training and welfare, throughout Buratai’s tenure as COAS, there was never a dull moment.
It is on record that Buratai’s leadership style did inspire the fighting soldiers, a record-breaking template his successors would also find suitable to utilize. When he became the Nigerian army chief, he made it a duty to identify with his officers and men as they launched a full-scale war against the Boko Haram fighters.
He initiated a range of activities in support of developing the force, via intensive training, mentoring, partnering, monitoring and empowering. His enabling efforts in that regards include setting up the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies in Biu, Borno State; Command Secondary School (Boys & Girls) in Kebbi State; Nigerian Army Aviation hangar at Jaji Airstrip, Kaduna; Mine Resistance Amour Protected (MRAP); Activation of Divisions Training Schools; establishing Tinapa Post Housing Development Limited Estate, Calabar; Army Warrant Officers Board; the Nigerian Army Special Forces School; First Nigerian Army indigenous infantry patrol vehicle; Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare Command and the Nigerian Army Vehicle Manufacturing Company.
Other capacity building projects Buratai initiated are; the Supply and Transport Driving School; Nigerian Army Women’s Corps; Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association Hospital; Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Command; 20 Regimentation Battalion; 133 Special Forces Battalion; 123 Special Forces Battalion; Counter Terrorist and Counter Insurgency Museum; 109 Special Forces Battalion; 4 Special Forces Battalion, Counter Explosive Devices; 707 Special Forces Brigade; Motorcycle Battalion; Nigerian Army Agricultural Business Enterprise Limited; Army War College, Nigeria; Nigerian Army Bureau De Change; Nigerian Army Investments Account; Operation Lafia Dole Sectors 1,2 and 3; Homes Fit for Heroes; Otukpo Post Housing Development Limited Estate; Buffalo Engineering and Technical Services Limited, evolution of new operational concepts, establishment of 6 and 8 Divisions, Nigerian Languages Training Initiative, and many more.
Inspiring and effectively leading subordinates, especially through a military mission with life or death implications, is no small feat. It requires leadership, one that extends well beyond the battlefield.
Evidently, for years to come, history will remember General Yusuf Buratai, particularly, in areas critically important to Nigerian Army.
celebrity radar - gossips
From Friendship to Tragedy: IBB Recounts Executing Childhood Friend Mamman Vatsa
From Friendship to Tragedy: IBB Recounts Executing Childhood Friend Mamman Vatsa
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
“When Loyalty Clashes with Duty; IBB Reflects on Betrayal, Heartbreak and the Heavy Burden of Leadership”
In his recently published autobiography, A Journey of Service, former Nigerian military ruler Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida has opened up about the heart-wrenching decision to execute his childhood friend, General Mamman Vatsa, following a failed coup plot in 1986.
Released on February 20, 2025, Babangida’s memoir provides an unprecedented glimpse into the emotional struggle of balancing personal loyalty with national security. He recalls first hearing rumors of a coup allegedly involving Vatsa, which he initially dismissed as the result of jealousy or political rivalry. However, further investigations and consultations with senior officers (including Generals Nasko, Garba Duba, and Wushishi) uncovered evidence that Vatsa had provided funds to other officers to further the coup plan.
The plot, Babangida recounts, involved bombing Lagos’ Eko Bridge, disrupting Air Force operations, and targeting the presidential aircraft, actions that threatened the stability of the nation. Vatsa had attempted to explain his financial involvement as a contribution to a farming project, but Babangida said the evidence from covert investigations was undeniable.
Reflecting on his personal anguish, Babangida admitted, “I experienced a profound personal sense of betrayal. They had orchestrated a violent coup that threatened to shroud the nation in darkness. I faced an impossible choice: save a friend’s life or safeguard the future of my country.” Despite their shared youth and years of friendship in Minna, Babangida prioritized national stability over personal grief.
Vatsa’s execution in March 1986, alongside other coup plotters, left a deep personal void for Babangida, who described the loss as both “a personal tragedy” and a necessary step to protect Nigeria. He emphasized that the unity of the armed forces and the nation’s survival outweighed private sorrow, insisting that the rule of law and the demands of national security must take precedence over friendship.
The former military ruler also highlighted later attempts to politicize the incident, stating that some officers were displeased with Vatsa’s appointment as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory due to lingering perceptions about past coups. Nonetheless, Babangida maintained he had always sought to honor their friendship, accommodating Vatsa’s personality and character wherever possible. “I stayed loyal to our friendship and went above and beyond to accommodate his excesses and boisterous behavior,” he wrote.
Scholars and historians reviewing Babangida’s account note that the execution of a childhood friend underscores the extraordinary pressures faced by leaders during periods of national crisis, highlighting the intersection of personal ethics and state responsibilities. Dr. Chukwuemeka Okeke, a Nigerian historian, commented, “IBB’s narrative shows the stark reality of leadership in times of upheaval. Personal relationships, even lifelong friendships, can be overshadowed by national imperatives.”
Babangida’s account provides a rare, candid exploration of the emotional burden borne by leaders forced to make life-and-death decisions. The memoir paints Vatsa not only as a friend but also as a symbol of the painful sacrifices that leadership demands, illustrating the complexities of governance in a nation fraught with political instability and internal dissent.
Ultimately, A Journey of Service chronicles a delicate balance: the tension between human attachment and the responsibility to safeguard a nation. The story of Vatsa’s execution is a stark reminder that the path of leadership is often laden with moral dilemmas and irrevocable decisions, where loyalty to country may exact the ultimate personal cost.
Babangida’s revelation adds a deeply human dimension to historical events that have long been analyzed in military and political textbooks, shedding light on the emotional and ethical struggles of one of Nigeria’s most influential military rulers.
Published on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
FACT CHECK: Viral “Trump Post” Blasting Tinubu Over Maiduguri Bombings is Fake
LAGOS — A viral image circulating on social media, purportedly showing a post by former U.S. President Donald Trump criticizing Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been confirmed as false and digitally manipulated.
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The image, which appeared online late Monday, March 16, 2026, claimed to be a post from Trump’s Truth Social account reacting to a deadly wave of bombings in Maiduguri. While the attacks themselves are real, the alleged international rebuke is entirely fabricated.
Hoax Exposed
The fake post alleged that Trump described Nigeria’s situation as a “TOTAL DISASTER” and criticized Tinubu for being on a “State Visit” to the United Kingdom during a supposed “STATE OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY.”
However, multiple inconsistencies quickly exposed the claim:
Timeline Discrepancy: The post referenced events occurring while Tinubu was already abroad. In reality, the President only departed Abuja for London on Tuesday, March 17—hours after the image began trending.
Design Errors: Analysts identified a suspicious “whitehouse.gov” button embedded in the image—an element not present on the Truth Social platform.
No Verifiable Source: A thorough review of Trump’s official social media accounts and global media reports shows no record of such a statement.
Tinubu’s UK Visit Continues
Despite the security situation at home, the Presidency has confirmed that Tinubu’s scheduled state visit to the United Kingdom will proceed.
The Nigerian leader is expected to be received by King Charles III at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, March 18. The visit marks a notable diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and the UK.
The widely shared “Trump post” is a deliberate misinformation attempt, exploiting a real national tragedy to spread false political narratives. Authorities and media observers continue to urge the public to verify information before sharing.
TO MY BROTHER BOBBY DEE by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode
For my brother Bobby Dee (Chief Dele Momodu) to compare President Tinubu to General Sani Abacha and claim that he is a dictator suggests that he is suffering from a degenerating and worrisome level of cognitive dissonance.
I love Dele and God knows I have immense respect for him but he sounded drained, tired and broken and spoke little sense yesterday in his interview with Seun Okinbaloye of Channels TV.
May I humbly suggest to him to try and take a break from politics and political commentary for a while, get his breath back and attempt to overhaul his intellectual engine?
Not only was he uncharitable and disrespectful to the President, the Vice President, the Ministers, the Senators and the newly-appointed Ambassadors, many of whom have far more experience than him in governance and Government, on that programme but he also insulted the collective intelligence of the Nigerian people.
He and his associates in the ADC should focus more on trying to build up their depleted ranks and form a strong opposition that we can look forward to engaging in the field of battle for the 2027 election rather than continously obsesse and talk about what our President and our party is doing.
The ADC cannot even be described as a sinking ship but rather as a badly patched up inflatable plastic life boat that has not even managed to find its bearing or leave the harbour.
It has no engine, no sails, no oars, no captain, no crew, no navigational equipment, no muscle, no firepower, no war chest, no destination and worse of all it is made of rubber and not steel.
How can such an ill-prepared contraption even float let alone do battle?
It cannot possibly survive the rough seas and harsh winds of Nigerian politics because it lacks gravitas, focus, character, intelligence, discipline and strength.
It needs to be built up, better schooled, better trained, better equipped, better educated and better prepared before it can enter the field and before we can even begin to regard it as an opposition party.
Right now it can only be described as a haven and pitiful gathering of vacuous, shallow, intellectual frauds and political renegades who lack foresight and who have no direction.
The fact that they have failed to take off is not Tinubu’s fault, it is theirs.
The fact that political leaders and the Nigerian people are flocking to APC in droves is not only because our President and Vice President are doing well but also because they view the ADC as nothing but a collection of disingenious, desperate and recycled political losers, who are addicted to power, who offer no credible alternative to governance and who, like the three blind mice, are running around in circles, chasing each other’s long, mangy and wrinkled tails with no where to go.
Watching my brother Dele trying to speak for them is pitiful and is even more disconcerting than his assertion that Tinubu will regret his decisions and will be deserted by everyone around him.
The Bible says “who is he that sayeth a thing and it cometh to pass when the Lord God of Hosts has commanded it not?”
Dele should listen to the Holy Spirit instead of to the pagan murmurings, strange whispers, demonic divinations and conjuring projections of the Prophets of Baal and the Witch of Endor.
To be sure Tinubu started well, he is doing well and he will, by the grace of God, end well with no regrets in 2031.
Anything short of that is the counsel of the ungodly and the manifestation and delusions of a diseased and demonised mind.
I appeal to my brother Dele: leave the ranks of the forces of darkness and join us.
You are far too good for the company you are keep.
Your presence in the ranks of the ADC is like that of a gentle, beautiful, well bred, well fed and well manicured flamingo trapped in a sea of ugly, cruel, loud, angry, starving, cackling and relentless crows and vultures.
It does not befit you.
(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the author of this essay) is an Ambassador Designate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a former Minister of Aviation, a former Minister of Culture and Tourism, the Sadaukin Shinkafi, the Wakilin Doka Potiskum, the Otunba of Joga Orile, the Aare Ajagunle of Otun Ekiti and a Legal Practioner)
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