Buratai: I have no link to money, cars seized during ICPC raid on Abuja property

Tukur Buratai, former chief of army staff, says he has no link to the items recently seized by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Abuja.

The ICPC had, on June 16, raided a property in the Wuse 2 area of the federal capital territory (FCT), on suspicion of money laundering.

The commission said it recovered money and other items from the property including N175,706,500, $220,965, a G-Wagon, 2022 editions of BMW and Mercedes-Benz cars and customised mobile phones.

Several designer wristwatches, including three Rolexes, and some property documents were also recovered.

Initially, the ICPC had failed to mention the name of the owner of the Abuja property, and there were claims that the seized items belonged to the former army chief.

But in a statement on its website, the commission had said “facts available for the time being indicates that the property is owned by the owner of K Salam Construction Company, a military contractor”.

“The commission arrested the managing director of K Salam Construction Company Nigeria Limited, Mr Kabiru Sallau and investigation is ongoing,” ICPC added.

Meanwhile, reacting to the allegation through Ugochukwu Osuagwu, his legal adviser, at a media briefing on Monday, Buratai described the reports linking him to the properties as “filled with mischief, baseless and concocted”.

“Lieutenant General T.Y. Buratai has no relationship with the said properties nor does he have any relationship with the said K Salam Construction Company Nigeria Limited. These are fabricated lies to criminally defame the image of Lieutenant General T.Y. Buratai,” he said.

“First, ICPC, in a press release on June 24, 2022, denied any involvement of Lieutenant General T.Y. Buratai with their investigation of the Wuse 2 property.

“Secondly, Corporate Affairs Commission, in a letter dated Monday, 27 June 2022 and signed by A.G. Abubakar clearly exonerated Lieutenant General T.Y. Buratai with any relationship with the said K Salam Construction Company Nigeria Limited. Messrs. Muhammed Ahmed Sallau and Sallau Kabiru are the owners of the said company.

“Thirdly, a check on the FRSC website on the number plate: ABJ98BH attached to the Mercedes-Benz is false; checks show that the said plate number belongs to a Toyota Corolla custom colour.

“We, therefore, use this medium to urge restraint on those who are trying to politicise what is purely a matter being investigated.

“With ICPC having cleared the air on this subject matter, it will be preposterous to now try to politicise the matter.”

Osuagwu added that Buratai is already taking action against those spreading the “falsehood”.