The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission is set to arraign a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal
Dikko Umar (retd.), for allegedly diverting over N13.5bn during his time
as the head of the Nigerian Air Force.
It was learnt that the commission would
arraign Umar before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court,
Abuja, on Wednesday (today).
A former Director of Finance and
Accounts at the NAF, Air Commodore Salisu Yushau (retd.), had revealed
before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, that some past NAF
chiefs diverted N558.2m monthly from funds meant for the payment of
salaries of NAF officials.
He told the court that the system was in place when he served under former Air chief, M. D. Umar, from 2010 to October 2012.
Umar headed the air force from September
9, 2010 to October 4, 2012. Calculations by our correspondent showed
that N13,528,600,000 was the total sum allegedly diverted for the 23
months he served.
It was also learnt that the EFCC would arraign Umar for his alleged role in the $2.1bn arms scam.
Umar, his successor, Air Chief Marshal
Alex Badeh (retd.); and Badeh’s successor, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu
(retd.), are under investigation by the EFCC for allegedly diverting
millions of dollars.
The investigations centred on how 10
contracts, totalling $930,500,690.00, were awarded; the payment of
N4,402,687,569.41 for unexecuted contracts; the procurement of two used
Mi-24V helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at
$136,944,000.00; four used Alpha-Jets for the NAF at US$7,180,000.00
funded by ONSA and the cannibalisation of engines from NAF fleet to
justify procurement of jets.
Other areas of investigation included
the excessive pricing of 36D6 Low Level Air Defence Radar at $33m
instead of $6m per one; the strange transfer of $2m to Mono Marine
Corporation Nigeria Limited owned by some air force officers; the N15bn
lavished on the maintenance of its Alpha-Jets, C-130H aircraft and
Mi-24V/35P helicopters; the N2.5bn contracts awarded to Syrius
Technologies(Ukrainian company) not registered in Nigeria and the award
of seven contracts worth N599,118,000.00 contracts to Defence Industry
Corporation of Nigeria in which only two were delivered.
Meanwhile, the EFCC has obtained a
remand order to keep a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi
Fani-Kayode, in custody for the next two weeks.
The remand order is, however, renewable after 14 days depending on the outcome of investigations.
Fani-Kayode is being investigated by the
EFCC for allegedly receiving N840m when he was the Director of
Publicity for the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation in 2015.
The money, which Fani-Kayode confessed to receiving, was said to have emanated from the account of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The commission had recently frozen the ex-minister’s Zenith Bank account with number 1004735721 domiciled at Maitama, Abuja.
Fani-Kayode had told our correspondent
that the PDP leadership gave him the impression that the money was
sourced from private individuals.
He said, “I served as the director of
publicity of the Jonathan campaign organisation and I was told to set up
an account for the directorate, which I did. I never received money
from the CBN but like all the other directors, we received money from
the director of finance.”
However, a detective told our
correspondent that the EFCC was working on the assumption that the
ex-minister might have received more than N840m.
The source said, “Besides the N840m that
Fani-Kayode admitted to receiving, we believe he got more. Thanks to
BVN (Bank Verification Number), we can trace all other accounts that he
has. We will trace the transaction history and see how much he truly
received and how much was from the public funds.
“There are other petitions against the
former minister and he will be grilled. In the coming days, we will
reveal the outcome of investigations.”
When asked if the investigation of the
former minister was a witch-hunt as alleged, the detective said such
excuses were not tenable in court.
He recalled that Fani-Kayode was
arraigned in court for several offences between 2008 and 2015, noting
that this was under the PDP administrations.
“The issue of a witch-hunt does not
apply here. Fani-Kayode faced a criminal trial under (late President
Umaru) Yar’Adua and (former President Goodluck) Jonathan. Did it mean
they also hated him?” the detective said.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that the commission might seize some of the ex-minister’s properties as investigations continue.
“Section 29 permits the assets of a
person arrested under Section 28 to be seized by the state. The Recovery
of Public Property Special Provisions Act Cap R42004 Laws of the
Federation also empowers the EFCC to seize assets,” the source added.
Meanwhile, the EFCC on Tuesday, also invited and quizzed an Executive Director of First Bank Limited, Mr. Dauda Lawal.
He was said to have been invited to the
anti-graft office in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he was allegedly quizzed in
connection with the funds collected by the bank from the immediate past
Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
A source in the bank confirmed the invitation of Lawal by the commission but described it as “routine”.
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