President Muhammadu Buhari says he was overthrown as head of state in 1985 because of his crusade against corruption in the military.
He made this known in an interview published in the current edition of The Interview magazine.
Buhari stated that senior military leaders expelled him in August ’85 to save themselves from his wrath.
Buhari was ousted from power in a coup led by his then chief of Army staff, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
He stated that his “trusted allies” removed him because he had uncovered some fraudulent activities perpetrated by one of them (Gen. Aliyu Gusau).
“I learnt that Aliyu Gusau, who was in charge of intelligence, took import licence from the ministry of commerce, which was in charge of supplies and gave it to Alhaji Mai Deribe,” he said.
“It was worth N100,000, a lot of money at that time. I confronted them and took the case to the Army council in a memo…I wanted Gusau punished.”
However Babangida while speaking in the December edition of The Interview had said that there was nothing in the memo which Buhari said he submitted to the Army council.
“Don’t forget that I was one of Buhari’s closest aides. I was the chief of army staff. So, I had an important position, an important role to play within that administration. I don’t think it had to do with a memo,” Babangida said.
But in a tone which suggests the President still harbours some grudge against the two ex-military men, Buhari challenged Babangida and Gusau to come clean on why they removed him, asking The Interview to choose whose story to believe.