By: James Bwala
The Sahara Reporters, an online daily, excels at the profession of journalism without ethics. No thanks to the Sahara team's wolves' reporters' lack of professionalism in their reporting. The journal has recently resumed pushing its well-known tendencies after failing in their previous attempt to malign the character of the former Army Chief, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai.
I have been a journalist for a number of years now and I believe I have made a lot of impact in my reporting without necessarily promoting misinformation. When I read the latest report by Sahara Reporters, I laughed at their lack of facts in trying to sell their reports in the public domain. The Sahara Reporters should be aware of how many falsehoods they have previously said to advance their brand of reporting. Nigerians have realized that the news feeds were fakes after previously believing them to be a hub of information for discussing events.
Referring to the present fad. I was informed of the ongoing court martial by word of mouth. I have reported on high-profile military officer prosecutions in the past without being hampered. Contrary to what Sahara Reporters said, the trial of Major General UM Mohammed, the former Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL) who was charged after a military police investigation and referred for trial, was conducted in the open.
A released by the Nigerian Army and signed by Brigadier Onyeama Chukwu reads: “it has noted yet another ill-conceived report by Sahara Reporters on a sub-judice and ongoing court martial process of Major General UM Mohammed, the erstwhile Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), who was indicted by a military police investigation and recommended for trial.
" It is expedient to clear the air on the despicably false report and calculated attempt to cast aspersion on the ongoing Court Martial, which has already progressed to an advanced stage as the prosecution has put forward the evidence against General Mohammed and closed its case.
"The accused senior officer has opened his defence and is testifying as Defence Witness One (DW1). For the avoidance of doubt, without being sub-judicial, the former GMD of NAPL is facing trial in relation to alleged offences of theft of various sums of money belonging to NAPL and forgery. These are all acts declared as offences punishable under the provisions of various extant penal laws in Nigeria.
"To set the records straight, upon investigation and indictment of the accused senior officer by military police investigations, the Army Headquarters convened a Special Court Martial to try the senior officer as a procedure to legally recover the sums of money he allegedly fraudulently acquired from the coffers of NAPL during his tenure as GMD.
"The details of the outcome of the court martial will be provided at the end of the court martial proceedings.” “It is instructive to point out that court martial trials are lawfully provided in the Armed Forces Act (AFA) as one of the disciplinary tools in the Armed Forces.
" The Court of Appeal and Supreme Court have in multiple instances validated the procedures, findings, and sentences of the court martial. Court martials, like all other criminal trials, are held in the open. The trial of Major General UM Mohammed is taking place at the Army Headquarters Command Officers’ Mess, Asokoro Abuja, and is not shrouded in secrecy as was wrongly insinuated,”
Brigadier General Onyeama Chukwu is very approachable, so it is not sufficient for a newspaper like Sahara Reporters to publish such a grave story by concluding that they were unable to contact the Army spokesman for comments on the serious allegations they were slandering against the former Army Chief. Sahara Reporters claimed to have conducted an investigation into the ongoing court martial but lacked facts.
When the Sahara Reporters leveled such serious accusations against General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, the ICPC had to go public with their denial and tell the world of the former army general's innocence. It appeared that Sahara Reporters had not learned their lesson. The title of their recent article "How Ex-Army Chief Buratai Used a Nigerian Army Property Firm to Obtain Saudi Citizenship; Major General in Charge Secretly Detained for One Year to Cover Up His Money Laundering Schemes."...Sahara Reporters' journalism was abhorrently yellow, ethically incorrect plot points and false characteristics.
It is crucial to remember that the current circumstances are in compliance with due process and the rule of law as the Nigerian Army continues to try Major General Mohammed. In conducting the trial, the Nigerian Army adhered to all required processes, ensuring that justice is administered in a fair and unbiased way. The Army is dedicated to sustaining the greatest standards of professionalism and responsibility as a highly regarded organization, and this trial is no different.
General Tukur Yusuf Buratai has a sterling reputation. At his age, life is not so novel that he needs Saudi citizenship in order to be content with himself. But it's vital to keep in mind that people who disseminate false information frequently do so with personal agendas and prejudices.
General Tukur Yusuf Buratai has always shown a dedication to preserving and serving his nation throughout his career. His fortitude and leadership have been crucial in Nigeria's struggle against terrorism and insurgency. He has put in a lot of effort to make sure the Nigerian Army is prepared for any difficulties that may occur.
Sahara Reporters is not a sufficient weapon for anyone to smear the reputation he built for himself through committed service to Nigeria.
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