Those who called for the Army chief’s resignation or sacking are human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN); another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome; and Second Republic House of Representatives member, Dr. Junaid Mohammed.
Ozekhome specifically demanded that Buratai should be tried before he would be allowed to resign.
Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, said people who were found guilty of stealing public funds, should not just be fired or allowed to resign but should be made to return such money.
Yinka Odumakin, who said it was not in the culture of Nigerians to resign for wrong-doing, however, said the posture of the Buhari administration on the allegation against Buratai cast a serious doubt.
Falana said that despite Buratai’s commendable feat of leading the Nigerian Army to defeat Boko Haram in the North-East, the war on corruption was also a must-win for the Buhari administration.
The lawyer described as a “cock and bull story” the explanation by the Nigerian Army authorities that he paid for the properties in instalments through his personal savings.
While he condemned the involvement of the Nigerian Army in defending Buratai, he said no one had yet to explain to Nigerians how an army General could manage to save $1.5m.
He added, “In view of the ban on the opening and operation of foreign accounts by public officers, the Code of Conduct Bureau should be involved in the investigation.
“If the Chief of Army Staff does not deem it fit to resign forthwith, President Buhari should not hesitate to remove him in the interest of national morality.”
Falana commended the Buhari administration for putting on trial military officers, allegedly involved in the diversion of the sum of $15bn, meant for the procurement of arms.
Another SAN, Yusuf Ali, believed that the allegation against Buratai
should be thoroughly investigated before anyone should talk of him
resigning or anything like that.
The man said he and his wives own these properties and he duly declare
them in his assets, he did not hide them the way corrupt Nigerians do.
So anyone doubting should check what his wives are doing.