How Nigerian Naval Chief Locked Up Steward For Refusing To Engage In Multi-million Naira Fraud—Alleged Victim's Relation
A relative to Seaman Armstrong Kudans, steward to Rear Admiral Samson Bura, former commanding officer, Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has alleged that the latter locked up Kudans for refusing to engage in financial fraud.
The relative who spoke with SaharaReporters said Kudans has been picked up since 2019 and taken to Bonny Island on the orders of Bura and was only recently taken to a cell in Pathfinder.
However, he noted that the Rear Admiral had ordered that Kudans be sentenced to three years imprisonment in Port Harcourt prison.
According to him, Kudans had served as a steward to Bura and between 2017 and 2019, Kudans went to the Government House to receive N20, 000, 000 monthly for Bura.
Meanwhile, the funds meant for the welfare of all naval staff under him are usually diverted for Bura's personal use.
He said Bura was also using Kudans' account to receive another N3 million per month and later alleged that the steward had stolen from him when there was no such incident.
The relation alleged that trouble started when Kudans told his boss he was no longer interested in being used to perpetrate fraud.
"He said he didn't want to be engaged in any of the things the man was doing including collecting the N20 million and N3 million," the source said.
"He wanted to stop but the man lied against him that he stole his N48 million."
The relation said, "Since 2019, Bura had got Kudans arrested though Bura himself has been redeployed to Abuja as Director Air, Naval Headquarters he has maintained a hold on this place because the person who took over is his junior.
“Bura gave orders to the new commanding officer, Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, especially concerning those he locked up before he left. That man rendered many family members useless because of the little power God gave him.
“Bura dismissed 152 navy personnel from the navy and jailed over 60 out of the 152. Sometimes, he sends them to the front in war-torn states so they can get killed.”
Narrating what happened between Kudans and Bura, he said, “My cousin, Seaman Armstrong Kudans SVC7623 of the Nigeria Navy served with Rear Admiral Samson Bura as his steward from May 2017 to November 2019 as of the time Bura was the commander, Nigeria naval ship, Pathfinder in Rivers state.
“During the period, the Rear Admiral was sending Armstrong to Rivers State Government House to collect money for him amounting to twenty million naira (N20,000,000) every month from July 2017 to October 2019. Ideally, Bura ought to be sending the Financial Officer of the command because Kudans is just a steward but because he wants to inappropriate the funds, he'd send a steward and he has to obey.
“He, the Rear Admiral Samson Bura has also been using Armstrong's account number to collect the sum of three million naira (N3,000,000) every month from Marbesel marine company owned by one Sir Joseph in Rivers state.
“All the money he receives on behalf of the Rear Admiral, he hands them over sincerely to him.
“The Rear Admiral Samson Bura keeps the money in his house at Adageorge Close, Elelewon Street, New GRA, Port Harcourt, Rivers state.
“It was in November 2019 that the Rear Admiral Samson Bura accused him of stealing the sum of forty-eight million naira (N48,000,000) from his house but he didn't steal the money. He showed him copies of some of the transactions made and bank tellers but Bura refused to believe.
“Kudans also showed me the names and phone numbers of people that have been going to River State Government House with him and doing bank transactions.
“Samson Bura always asks his girlfriends to come around to stay in the house for weeks or more and they stay for days but he never asked them if they have ever stolen his money. Any of these ladies may have taken the money.
“Kudans was in Nigeria Navy Town, Lagos when Rear Admiral Samson Bura sent Nigeria Police (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) to arrest him with one Bello who was serving in Nigeria naval air station and since then he has remained in detention. I learnt that today, Monday, they have sentenced Kudans to three years imprisonment.”
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