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EFCC quizzes Badeh, Magu seeks UAE’s support over loot

By Abosede Musari and Karls Tsokar, Abuja
04 February 2016   |   12:54 am
IN line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive of January 15, 2016, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday began the interrogation of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Mashal Alex Badeh.
Badeh

Air Mashal Alex Badeh.

IN line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive of January 15, 2016, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday began the interrogation of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Mashal Alex Badeh.

Badeh who has been on an administrative bail was asked to report back to the commission on Monday, February 8 .Meanwhile, pioneer chairman of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), and foundation member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Tom Ikimi was yesterday sighted at the EFCC headquarters in Wuse 2 Abuja.

Badeh had reported to the commission early yesterday following a formal invitation to him on Tuesday by the EFCC. He is being investigated in connection with the $2 billion and another N29 billion contract scam that allegedly occurred at the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) between 2014 and 2015.

Badeh held office as Chief of Air Staff before his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff. This investigation is part of a larger investigation into the arms procurement that took place at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The larger investigation which has involved former NSA Sambo Dasuki and many others is to the tune of $2.1 billion and another N643 billion.

Badeh is one of the 21 officials of the Nigeria Army and Air Force serving and retired that have been ordered to be probed by the president.

Others are Air Marshal M.D. Umar (rtd), Air Marshal A.N. Amosu (rtd), Maj- Gen. E.R. Chioba (rtd), Air Vice Mershal I. A. Balogun (rtd), AVM A.G. Tsakr (rtd), AVM A.G. Idowu (rtd), AVM A.M. Mamu, AVM O.T. Oguntoyinbo, AVM T. Omenyi, AVM J.B. Adigun, AVM R.A. Ojuawo, AVM J.A. Kayode-Beckley, Air Cdre. S.A. Yushau (rtd), Air Cdre. A.O. Ogunjobi, Air Cdre. GMD Gwani, Air Cdre. S.O. Makinde, Air Cdre. A.Y. Lassa , Col. N. Ashinze and Lt. Col. MS Dasuki (rtd).

It was not clear which issues were raised during his short visit yesterday. He was expected to answer questions bordering on “non-specification of procurement costs, absence of contract agreements, award of contracts beyond authorised thresholds, transfer of public funds for unidentified purposes and general non-adherence to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act.

“Furthermore, the procurement processes were arbitrarily carried out and generally characterised by irregularities and fraud. In many cases, the procured items failed to meet the purposes they were procured for, especially the counter-insurgency efforts in the North East.”

According to an EFCC insider, the interaction with Badeh lasted for “a short while” from the time he entered to interface with the team set up to grill him, but was shifted to Monday because “the commission and her investigators need to meet up with some logistic necessities, before the procedure would be completed.”

Some of the areas in tune with what the panel of inquiry outlined include, how 10 contracts totaling $930,500,690.00 were awarded; payment of N4,402,687,569.41 for unexecuted contracts; 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 $7,180,000.00 funded by Office f the National Security Adviser(ONSA); cannibalism of engines from NAF fleet to justify procurement of jets and excessive pricing of 36D6 Low Level Air Defence Radar at $33million instead of $6million per one.

Others are: delivery of radars without vital components of Identification Friend or Foe (IFF); transfer of $2million to Mono Marine Corporation Nigeria Limited owned by some Air Force officers, N15billion spent on the maintenance of Alpha-Jets, C-130H aircraft and Mi-24V/35P helicopters as well as N2.5billion contracts awarded to Syrius Technologies among others.

A reliable source at the commission told The Guardian that though it was not yet clear what Ikimi was doing at the commission, he came in navy blue caftan accompanied by two men who are probably personal assistants.

He was said to have entered through the reception, and not through the chairman’s entrance as is usual with persons invited by the commission..

“We are not yet sure about his reason for coming today but anybody you see here is being investigated”, the source said.
Also, there are indications that the Federal Government and the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE agreement to repatriate stolen funds, and suspected corrupt persons was taken a step further yesterday when EFCC Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu met with the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Mahmud Muhammad Al- Mahmud during which both parties assured on commitment to carry the agreement through.

Magu said the commission had intelligence that the UAE was considered a safe haven by corrupt politically exposed persons in Nigeria.

“I have come to seek your support and cooperation just as we had in the case of Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, James Ibori, among others to get the mission accomplished”, Magu pleaded.

The UAE Ambassador, Al- Mahmud, pledged the support of his country for Nigeria’s anti-graft war saying: “No country can be an island on its own without the support of others.”

The probe into the arms procurement scam started with the arrest of former National Security Adviser (NSA) Dasuki Sambo in late 2015 by the Directorate of State Security (DSS) who handed him over to the EFCC.

The investigation then took a dramatic turn with subsequent arrest of Raymond Dokpesi who allegedly got N2.1 billion.
Soon to be seized as well were former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda , former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa and his son, former Defence Minister, Bello Haliru Mohammed and a former military administrator of Kaduna State, Jafaru Isa among others .

Also individuals and companies such as Messrs Societe D’ Equipments Internationaux, Himma Aboubakar, Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Services Limited, Messrs Syrius Technologies, Dr Theresa A. Ittu, Sky Experts Nig Ltd, Omenyi Ifeanyi Tony, Huzee Nig Ltd, GAT Techno Dynamics Ltd, Gbujie Peter Obie, Onuri Samuel Ugochukwu, Spacewebs Interservices Ltd), Oguntoyinbo Tayo, Oguntoyinbo Funmi, Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd, Chief Jacobs Bola, Mono Marine Corporation Nig Ltd, Geonel Intergrated Services Ltd, Sachi Felicia, Mudaki Polycarp and Wolfgang Reinl were directed for investigation by the president.

3 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    THE PERIOD OF VERY RECKLESS IMPUNITY IS OVER. IF YOU CAN NOT DO THE TIME, THEN YOU MUST NOT DO THE CRIME. THOSE WHO ARE FOUND GUILTY OF LOOTING OR STEALING, SHOULD THE SENTENCED TO A MINIMUM OF LIFE AND LIFE MEANS LIFE, IF THEY ARE FOUND GUILTY OF LOOTING AND STEALING A SECONG TIME, THEN THEY SHOULD BE EXECUTED BY FIRING SQUAD. ALL MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES, FRIENDS, CRONIES AND AGENTS, WHO KNOWINGLY BENEFITED FROM THE LOOTINGS AND STEALINGS, SHOULD BE SENT TO PRISON FOR LIFE AND LIFE MEANS LIFE. THESE MEASURES WILL SERVE AS A VERY SEVERE DETERENTS.

  • Author’s gravatar

    YES, TIME HAS COME FOR THESE LOOTERS TO DO THE TIME FOR THEIR FINANCIAL CRIMES.

  • Author’s gravatar

    APC….. CHANGE!!! I think the heat is getting low on the anti-corruption thing, some e.rats have started seeing the true picture of the ineptitudeness in Villa of the Asos’. This can keep them heretic for days till they realise their suffering, when another one wud have been scripted. This time I’m sure until the other side got to tlk…take these goats to court, let’s get to hear their altercations. If only we can be given whole details of how these money are spent by the new sheriff, and the actual amount we’re getting from this, just as this is patiently cholographed. Thief fighting pickpocket, all is to expose the shenenagians of both.

    SUM DUE FOR REPATRIATION IS IT $750MILLION? COUNTRY OF REPATRIATION IS …?

    Carol Ajie
    Lagos, Nigeria
    29 Jan 2016 — Friday 29th Jan., 2016

    Mr President Buhari,

    Transparency is a virtue a regime who professes to fight corruption should honour.

    Months after you assumed office I got hints from a consortium of lawyers in Nigeria working with counterparts in USA to retrieve $1.5Billion (One Billion Five Hundred Thousand Naira) of Abacha’s loot from the United States of America to Nigeria. The lawyer said a Federal Court in US already completed the assets forfeiture proceedings. They asked me if I was Mr. Malami’s classmate in the University or at the law school and I said No. They asked me if I had Mr Malami’s phone number and if I could call him. I said I am so sorry I am not going to call Minister Malami I have his number for the simple fact that I don’t call serving public officers not known to me in NBA, as a policy. Ministers of Justice his predecessors were known to me in the Nigerian Bar Association. I said however, IRS Isiaku Rabiu is owing my client $2million and before he became AGF Malami, was his lawyer & responded on behalf of the debtor, IRS.

    Weeks after another lawyer was discussing Law our common ground and when this matter was raised ie the repatriation of USD1.5Billion, and a meeting had been requested by the consortium, a member of the said consortium of lawyers said the US contact had actually gone ahead to see the presidency referring to your presidency in respect of the matter of repatriation/recovery of the said funds ($1,5Billion).

    Next I was to read this report that $750million was about being repatriated. https://guardian.ng/2016/01/well-soon-recover-750m-abacha-loot-iboris-6-9m-says-malami/

    Mr President nowhere was it stated source or country of repatriation in any of the circulated report and why is it that your regime announced the sum of $750million without disclosing to the public the country the repatriated sum is being expected?

    Please what exactly is going on right now? Are there hawks or what? And why are we fighting past regime’s corruption when we are hiding the full details of important transactions? President Jonathan’s regime disclosed country of repatriation and sums.

    Why is President Buhari in the habit of hiding things. PMB refused to disclosed to the public despite several inquiries from journalists and also at your maiden media chat 30th Dec what you have recovered thus far from the anti-graft exercise and you rested it on judicial proceedings until the court cases finish. The court cases are not going to finish Sir in the next decade and what becomes of the enormous cash in your hands?

    Please your Excellency lead by example fight this graft war with sincerity and honesty as stated in Guardian Law page 44 on Tuesday 26th Jan., 2016

    Respectfully submitted,

    Attorney Carol Ajie

    Copy to Justice Minister Malami SAN