Top politicians under watch over Buratai's alarm on planned coup

A report by The Nation indicates that some top politicians are under watch by security agencies following the recent alarm raised by the chief of amry staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai. Buratai had warned officers against dabbling into politics in a recent statement, adding that they should save Nigeria's nascent democracy. The alarm is believed to have followed an intelligence report that some politicians, who were uncomfortable with the health of President Muhammadu Buhari, were infiltrating the military. The recent postings in the Army may have been part of the measures put in place to protect the nation’s democracy against shocks and threats, a source said. COAS General Buratai had raised an alarm on a planned coup According to the source, Buratai was disturbed that the ongoing professionalisation of the military might suffer a major setback if politicians were allowed to “infiltrate the system”. The source said: “What Buratai did was a pre-emptive move by the military authorities as a result of intelligence report that some politicians were out to infiltrate the Armed Forces. “The COAS decided to cry out following intelligence on the attitude of some politicians who were uncomfortable with the anxiety over the health of President Muhammadu Buhari.” The army chief’s suspicion of the infiltration of the military is believed to have been fuelled by the crisis in Cote D’Ivoire. “But General Buratai has used his statement to reassure Nigerians and the international community that the military will not meddle in politics. This alarm has paid off, with the United Kingdom and pro-democracy groups giving their backing to the present administration. “And his alert has worked because all the reactions have shown that Nigerians will not accept the return of the military to power,” the source said. Another source said Buratai gave the warning to douse tension in the Army over recent postings. His words: “These rumours started from the last military posting. There were many strategic appointments which some people felt went to the close confidants of the Army leadership. “There were allegations that some trusted officers were put in areas of influence because of the backlash of the health of the president. “But we have found out that those grumbling had no case because Buratai as a soldier’s soldier does not have any favourite. He places professionalism above ethnic or religious consideration. His goal is to keep the military united.” PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 news app Recall that on Wednesday, May 17, the federal government condemned the recent mutiny by a small fraction of Cote d’Ivoire's armed forces, against the government. In a statement posted on the Nigerian Presidency Twitter page, the Nigerian government expressed strong and unflinching support for President Alassane Ouattara, commending him for his ongoing efforts at resolving the crisis. The statement further urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, remain calm and continue dialogue.