Why Gen Babangida Sacked Me From Office 1985 - President Buhari

                            

President Buhari during a chat with Interview Magazine disclosed why his then Chief of Army Staff in 1984-85 Gen Babangida removed him from office. he said his fight against corruption was the major reason.

He said the then Head of Military Intelligence, Aliyu Gusau, was allegedly involved in some sharp practices and he had recommended his sack from the military leadership.Buhari said the reason he insisted on Gusau’s removal was because he did not want his anti-corruption war to appear one-sided.

Hence Gusau, Babangida and other officers teamed up and staged a coup thereby ousting him from office.Buhari disclosure was reaction to December 2015 interview by Babangida in which he (Babangida) said the plan to remove Gusau had nothing to do with the 1985 coup.

Buhari said, “I learnt that Gen. Ali Gusau, who was in charge of intelligence, took an import licence from the Ministry of Commerce, which was supplies, and gave it to Alhaji Mai Deribe. It was worth N100, 000, a lot of money then.

“When I discovered this, I confronted them and took the case to the army council. Gen. Malu was the Chief of Defence Staff; Gen. Babangida was the Chief of Army Staff; Tunde Idiagbon was the Chief of Staff, Defence Headquarters and I was the Head of State.

“I said if I didn’t punish Gusau, it would create a problem for us. It is North versus South; majority versus minority; Muslim versus Christian. That was what it showed.

“So, I said Gen. Ali Gusau had to go. He was the Chief of Intelligence. That was why Babangida got some officers to remove me. Let him repeat his own story. Ali Gusau is still alive.”