IBB overthrew me because I was fighting corruption – Buhari

Pres. Buhari who was the military head of state for 18 months before being kicked out of office on August 27, 1985, said this during an exclusive with The Interview Magazine, while reacting to a December 2015 interview where Babangida said the 1985 coup had nothing to do with Mr. Buhari’s corruption fight.

In his reaction, however, Buhari said, “I learnt that Gen. Ali Gusau, who was the Chief 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. So, I said Gen. Gusau had to go. That was why Babangida got some officers to remove me. Let him repeat his own story. Ali Gusau is still alive.”