Who is General Muraina?
The two wives and nine children of late Chief of Accounts and Budget of Nigerian Army, Major General Abdullahi Iyanda Muraina, are locked in bitter legal dispute over the 19 properties, bulletproof vehicles and other assets left behind by the retired officer.
General Muraina died about a year ago in United Arab Emirates (UAE) after a brief illness. He reportedly fell into a coma and was placed on a life support machine before he eventually passed on in a hospital in Dubai.
He was until his death the 23rd President and Chairman of the Council of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). He was also a Fellow, Certified National Accountant and Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. In addition, he was a member of the Institute of Directors Nigeria and the National Institute being an alumnus of the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies.
Muraina died intestate, that is, without writing a will which would have left instructions about who should receive his property, thus putting his wives – Alhaja Peju Muraina and Ann Usiagu-Muraina and their children in bitter and long drawn dispute.
Unable to resolve the dispute within the family and defying interventions of stakeholders, Muraina’s wives and children are before the Abuja Upper Area Court in Gudu, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) seeking the Court’s intervention in the distribution of his estate in accordance with Islamic law of inheritance.
In contention are the houses and landed properties including House 21, Mohammed Isma Street, Asokoro District, FCT Abuja; Mauve Lounge, Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo State; Mauve 21 Event Centre, Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo State; Smart Bridge Plaza, Utako District, FCT Abuja; Pathfield Plaza, Gwarinpa, FCT Abuja; House 826, Palm Estate, Maitama, Abuja and 17, Congo Street, Sun City Estate, Abuja.
Other properties in dispute include 19, Congo Street, Sun City Estate, Abuja; House at 11, Barcelona Street, Suncity Estate, FCT Abuja; House at Benue Street, Suncity Estate, FCT Abuja; Dilay Farms, Keffi, Nasarawa State; House at Oka Akoko Close, Garki, FCT Abuja; Yalid Petroleum, Fuel Station along Abuja-Keffi Expressway; No. 3, Onikoko Estate, opposite SSG’s House, Ikolaba, Ibadan, Oyo State; 11B, Mahogany Street, Forest Hill Estate, Jericho, Ibadan, Oyo State; Acres of land at Akinajo Village via Arunlogun area, Oyo State; Block V, Plot 98, New Government Reservation Area, Jericho, Ibadan; Plot 55, Phase 1, Stage III, Ajoda New Town Corporation, Ibadan and a storey building at 16, Awolowo Avenue, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The vehicles also at stake include Toyota Avalon 2013 (Bulletproof), Lexus LX 570 2013 (Bulletproof), Ford Explorer 2013 SUV, Toyota Hiace 14-Seater Hummer Bus, 2015 Ford Truck and One Toyota Corolla.
And to drive the dispute into public domain and prevent the outcome of the judgment of the Gudu Upper Area Court, lawyers to Muraina’s second wife, Ann Usiagu-Muraina, published a public notice on THISDAY September 1, 2023 titled ‘Caveat Emptor (Let the buyer beware),’ warning the general public against buying any of the properties in dispute.
The ‘Caveat Emptor’ was signed by her lawyers, A.I. Arotiowa Esq. and Jeph C. Njikonye (SAN) and Co.
Muraina had an early Koranic education and attended the Islamic Mission School, Odoye Ibadan for his primary education before proceeding to the Nigerian Military School, Zaria for his secondary education between 1972 and 1976.
He was at the Polytechnic Ibadan for his Advanced Level course between 1976 and 1978.
Muraina retired voluntarily from the Nigerian Army after 35 years of meritorious service as a Major General in September 2014 as Chief of Accounts and Budget (CAB) – Army.
He served in the Nigerian Army Training and Assistance Group (NATAG) in The Gambia where he was Head of The Gambian National Army Finance and Records.
Some of the positions he held during his illustrious career included but were not limited to Instructor, Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration; Military Assistant to the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company; Bills Officer, Command Finance Office (CFO); Cashier, Directorate of Military Pensions (DMP); SO2 (A) HQ Nigerian Army Finance Corps (NAFC); Cashier, Nigerian Army Personnel Pay Office (NAPPO); Deputy Chief Paymaster, Nigerian Army Personnel Pay Office (NAPPO); GSO1 Finance HQ DAPP; Deputy Chief Inspector of Accounts, Nigerian Army; Cashier, Nigerian Army; Assistant Director, Army Finance and Accounts (ADAFA) – Budget; Director of Finance, Nigerian Defence Academy; Assistant Director, Army Finance and Accounts – 1 Division, Nigerian Army; Director, Finance and Accounts– Defence Intelligence Agency; Commander, Command Finance Office; Director Army Finance and Accounts; Commandant, Nigerian Army School Finance and Administration, and Commander, Corps of Army Finance and Accounts. He was the first ever Chief of Accounts and Budget Army (CAB)A, and held that appointment from 2010 until his retirement in 2014.
In addition, the retired General who was a participant of the Senior Executive Course 27 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, equally held several command, staff and instructional appointments during his time with the Nigerian Army. These included member of the Nigerian Army Training and Assistance Group in The Gambia and served as Head of the Gambian National Army Finance and Records; a role he performed creditably in the quest for repositioning that country’s Army’s Finance.
Whilst in the Nigerian Army, he held Regimental and Extra Regimental appointments which included Secretary AHQ Task Force on Payment of Pensioners; Entertainment Officer, Treasurer and Secretary of Command Mess 2 at various times; Secretary and Chairman (at various times) NA Table Tennis Association; Secretary Committee on Restructuring of NASFA Curriculum; Chairman Board on Accounting Policy and Guidelines for Command Secondary Schools; Secretary NA Visitation Panel on Command Secondary Schools; President Board on Career Plan NAFC – Soldiers; Secretary Committee on Review of NA Training Cycle; Secretary Armed Forces Committee on Harmonization of Salary Structure; Member Armed Forces Committee on Harmonization of Salary Structure; Secretary Board on DHQ Establishment NDA Input; Chairman NASFA Admission Board; Member Committee on Internal Generation of Revenue for the Nigerian Army; Member, AHQ Monitoring Committee for Command Guest House, Abuja; Member NA Change Management Retreat Committee; President Mess Committee – AHQ Command Mess I; Chairman NAFC Transformation Committee; Chairman, NBTE Re-accreditation Team on Accountancy Programme at Kaduna Polytechnic; Chairman Planning and Organizing Committee NAFC Biennial Training Conference and Member, General Court Martial on PHL among many others. MajGen Muraina(rtd) was the Chairman of the Committee that produced the Manual of Financial Administration for the Armed Forces of Nigeria in 2012.
General Muraina was decorated with Forces Service (FSS), Meritorious Service Star (MSS), Distinguished Service Star (DSS), and Grand Service Star (GSS). He was also honoured with General Service Medal of Honour, Command Medal of Honour and Field Command Medal of Honour amongst others.
General Muraina was an honourary life member of the prestigious Ibadan Recreation Club and Aare Ajagundola of Iseyinland. He received his Master’s degree from the University of Ilorin.
A member of the International Academy of Business and Public Administration Disciplines (IABPAD), Muraina was well travelled, having visited almost all the continents of the world had attended courses in diverse areas spanning strategy and management, leadership and administration. He had attended the Second National Training Programme for Senior University Managers in 2000; International Conference on Defence Finance Management India in 2006; and Top Leadership Training Programmes of the NIM in Manchester, Cape Town, Washington at various times between 2007 and 2013; amongst others.
A research enthusiast in the areas of Leadership and Management; Defence Economics and Funding; and Strategic Management, the retired General is an acclaimed author, credited with amongst others the following papers, articles and book:
LWATI: a Journal of Contemporary Research on “Stakeholders Perception of Transparency and Accountability in Higher Education Financing in Lagos State” by Stella Ahunanya, Okpara Enyinna and Muraina Abdullahi – December 2010: (ISSN:1813 – 2227) Vol.7, pp 62 – 70.
Changing Roles of the Nigerian Armed Forces and Funding Implications (Gold Press ISNN: 979 – 978 -8428 – 39 – 8 2014).
Strategic Funding of the Nigerian Military and Contemporary Security Challenges: A Suggested Way Forward (Volume 12 Number 2 Fall 2015 IJBPA-ISSN 1547-4844).
