Buhari opens up on ‘two Nigerians found honourable’ during his military rule

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said that only two Nigerians were found honourable during the trial of public office holders during his military rule.

Speaking during a town-hall meeting with Nigerians in Dubai, United Arab Emirates(UAE), the President who recalled how he sent President Shehu Shagari and other top government officials to prison over corruption, said Bilyaminu Usman, a junior minister, from Jigawa State, and Adamu Chiroma, a minister of finance and governor of central bank were the two Nigerians found honourable by the panels that investigated politicians.

Buhari was responding to a question by a Nigerian based in Dubai had asked the president: ” What are you doing to bring treasury looters to justice ? Your boss, your subordinates and others. Many are saying the president can only bark, he can’t bite. When are you going to bite like lion?

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The president who was in Dubai for the ninth edition of Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) of the UAE, responded by saying:

” I have once ruled this country, some of you know that once upon a time I came in uniform and what I did was to arrest from the president downward. The president, Vice President, the governor’s and ministers, other than the president and the Vice President, the others, I put them in Kiri-Kiri, and I told them they are guilty until they can prove themselves innocent.

” And you know subsequently what happened- we set up about six tribunals base on the geopolitical zones, and those who were ministers and governors were asked to justify what they have in the banks and physical on the ground relative to their legitimate earnings.

” There were only two Nigerians then to my knowledge who were found to be very honourable, both of them are dead now: Bilyaminu Usman, a junior minister, from Jigawa State, and Adamu Chiroma, a minister of finance and governor of central bank. They were incredible Nigerians.

READ: Buhari departs Dubai for Abuja

Buhari served as the nation’s head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985, after taking power in a military coup d’état. Buhari justified the military’s seizure of power by castigating the civilian government as hopelessly corrupt and promptly suspended Nigeria’s 1979 Constitution. In 20 months as Head of State, about 500 politicians, officials and businessmen were jailed for corruption during his stewardship.