How 3 former Air Force chiefs diverted N21b public funds - EFCC

Following investigation into the illegal diversion of public funds to the tune of N21,467,674,707.43, the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has seized 29 properties from three former Air Force chiefs.

They are the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu; former NAF Chief of Accounts and Budgeting, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun (retd.) and  former Director of Finance and Budget, Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo (retd.).

The Punch reports that 11 properties were seized from Amosu; 12 from Adigun and six from Gbadebo. Among the properties are three plazas, six mansions, a quarry, a hospital, a block of flats, animal farms, a school, two hotels, some uncompleted buildings and  parcels of land.

According to the Punch report,  properties worth N9.6bn were seized from Adigun. Among the properties are Capadar Shopping Plaza situated at Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2, valued at N980m; a residential mansion on Lake Chad Street, Maitama, Abuja, worth N450m; an executive mansion at Imo River Close, Off Dandube Crescent, Maitama, valued at N710m and a four-unit terrace on Agadez Street, Off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2, worth N720m.

Other properties, said to have been seized from Adigun, include a 35-room uncompleted hotel on Salt Lake Street, Maitama, Abuja; a parcel of land located on Bourdillon Street, Ikoyi, Lagos; a block of 12 service flats, located on Agodogba Street, Park View Estate, Ikoyi, estimated to be worth N1.8bn and a quarry in Bwari area of Abuja worth about $694,000.

According to a source quoted by The Punch, “Adigun spent most of his own share of the money on properties and so we did not recover much cash from him. Amosu, however, returned over N2.3bn and raised two bank drafts.”

The source listed some of the properties seized from Amosu as a house on Adeyemo Alakija Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, worth N250m; a duplex at House 11, Peace Court Estate, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, worth N110m; a N40m property located at NAF Harmony Estate, Asokoro Base and a five-bed roomed house at Valley NAF Estate, Port Harcourt, worth N33m, a hospital on Adeniyi Jones Avenue, Ikeja, known as St. Solomon Hospital with equipment worth $2.15m and a N95m house on Umaru Dikko Street, Jabi, Abuja.

The properties seized from Gbadebo are said to include a  N10m fish farm ; a N20m poultry, located at Musa Close, Oyibo Ayobu, Lagos and  Bloomsville International School, Divine Estate, Isheri-Olofin , off Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The three former Air Force chiefs are expected to be arraigned by the EFCC this week.

The suspects are accused of diverting public funds to the tune of N21,467,674,707.43 in 2014.

Others to be arraigned alongside the three suspects are Delfina Oil and Gas Limited, McCallan Oil and Gas Limited, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Limited, Trapezites BDC, Funds and Pricey Limited, Degree Oil and Gas Limited, Timsegg Investment Limited and Solomon Healthcare Limited.

One of the charges partly says, “That you (accused persons) on or about the 5th day of March 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit conversion of the sum of N21,467,674,707.43, property of the Nigerian Air Force which was derived from stealing which is contrary to Section18 (A) of the Money Laundering Act of 2012 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.”

The accused persons are also charged with using  some of the aforementioned companies, which they allegedly own, to award phoney contracts to themselves.

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Decomposing body of murdered lecturer found floating on river

The decomposing body of the former Head of Theatre Arts Department, College Of Education, Oju, Benue State, Mr Godwin Abuul has been found floating on Katsina-Ala River.

Abuul was allegedly murdered by his wife and her siblings two weeks ago over his philandering activities.

The police reportedly got their breakthrough in the investigation when they nabbed a suspect in possession of a cloth believed to have been worn by the victim on the day he went missing.

The suspect then confessed to the police that Abuul was  killed by his wife in connivance with her siblings after which they sold his car and shared the proceeds.

Mrs Abuul and the said siblings have been arrested and the case transferred to Command Headquarters, Makurdi for further investigations.

Vanguard reports a family source as saying that the badly decomposed body of the late Abuul was found stuck on a tree trunk in River Katsina-Ala.

“After the revelation by his killers that he was dumped in the river two weeks ago, a search party comprising the police, family members and local divers Saturday evening discovered the badly decomposed body in the river.

“What was left of him was hanging on a small plant in the river. Fishes had feasted on him.

“Those responsible for his death pretended all along and even claimed that he might have been kidnapped.

“We took the remains to Makurdi on the orders of the Police, where an autopsy has been conducted and we are burying him immediately because the corpse is in a bad state.”

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EFCC to go after banks aiding looting

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu has expressed the determination of the anti-graft agency to go after banks found to be aiding and abetting treasury looting.

Alert, the in-house magazine of EFCC reports that Magu warned that banks could no longer afford to be used by corrupt public servants and fraudsters to launder their loot.

“We are not only going after the personnel of banks, we are also going after the banks. What happens is that when a staff of the bank is involved in such activities, what the bank does is to take the person out of the system through dismissal.

“But now, we are going to go after the banks and the personnel used to perpetrate the fraud. It takes two to tango. In fact, very soon, you will see us going after the managing directors of the banks.

“We don’t care what happens because the right thing has to be done because they have given a lot of room for money laundering activities to thrive. They were used to hide all the stolen money," he said.

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PMB hosting Atiku, other APC leaders to a dinner in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari hosted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other APC leaders to a dinner at the State House, Abuja on Friday.

They used the occasion to break the Ramadan fast together.

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NAF to acquire 10 training aircraft from Pakistan

The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has announced that it will soon acquire 10 super mesh training aircraft from the Pakistani Air Force.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar  disclosed this on Saturday at the graduation ceremony of Student Pilot Course, SPC 41B in Kaduna.

He said that the aircraft when acquired would be inducted into the 301 Flying Training School, Kaduna.

Abubakar said that Pakistani pilots are expected in the country to train Nigerian pilots at the 310 Flying Training School, adding that the induction of the super mesh aircraft would help the student pilots to the full spectrum of military flying training.

He said that 20 out of 42 pilots recently left Nigeria for further training abroad.

He explained that of the 20 pilots, 10 were sent to South Africa while the remaining 10 went to the United Kingdom.

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Kuje Prison jailbreak: two inmates on the run

The Nigeria Prisons Service, NPS has confirmed that two inmates escaped from Kuje Prison during a jailbreak at the facility on Friday.

The Public Relations Officer of the NPS, Mr Francis Enobore told newsmen that the incident had nothing to do with the detained leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND.

He said that the Comptroller-General of service has already ordered an investigation into the incident, adding that any official found culpable would be  dealt with according to the law.

“The Controller General himself came when the news was trending. I drove down here myself just to confirm what I was told.

“Actually, yesterday we had an incident where two awaiting trial inmates escaped from custody. The CGP has already directed a preliminary investigation to be carried out. The officers doing the investigation are in the prison yard now combing everywhere to find out how they escaped.

“Throughout the night our armed men and other security personnel that were deployed to search the nearby bush around the prison unfortunately came back this morning but has not been able to find the two prisoners that escaped.

“I can tell you that we maintain good relationship with other security operatives in order to recapture the prisoners. CG has directed that detailed account of what happened should be forwarded to his office soonest.

“And he has promised that any staff found wanting will not be spared and that such staff will be made to face the law. The two prisoners that escaped have no business with Charles Okah,” he said.

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World Youth Handball: FG charges team to defend title with integrity

The Federal Government has urged the Aso Rock Kings who will be representing Nigeria at the World Handball Youth Championship to play with maturity and integrity.

A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adeshina said that the competition will hold from June 28th to July 4th.

25 June 2016 | STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
DEFEND WORLD HANDBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE WITH INTEGRITY, FG URGES STATE HOUSE TEAM

The Federal Government Saturday in Abuja urged athletes participating in the forthcoming 2016 World Handball Youth Championship in Granollers, Spain to defend their current title with diligence, maturity and integrity.
The State House handball team, Aso Rock Kings, will be representing Nigeria at the 2016 World Handball Youth Championship, which will be held in Spain, June 28th -July 4th, 2016.
Speaking to the team, which had a training session at the National Stadium, the State House Permanent Secretary, Jalal Arabi, told the athletes to remain focus, committed and unwavering in defending the gold trophy they won in Spain last year.
"You are going to come under intense pressure from other teams as the defending champions of the 2015 World Handball Youth Championship, but you must remember the spirit of sportsmanship.
"I have watched your training today, and from what I can see you have justified the two weeks you have spent in camp. More importantly, you have to work very hard to retain the trophy you won last year," he said.
Arabi assured the team that the Federal Government was fully committed to the development of sports in Nigeria, urging them to work very hard to justify the confidence that had been reposed in them by always upholding the image of their country.
The Permanent Secretary commended the handball team for setting a good precedence of winning an international trophy last year, pointing out that the administration would encourage all the other sports to move into the spotlight through competitions.
"As various sports progress in the State House Sports Club, we will need to strategize to bring them into the spotlight," he added.
In his remarks, the Coach of the State House handball team, Aminu Ibrahim, said the team had gained lots of experience by participating three times in the same international tournament, and won the gold trophy last year.
He promised that the team would put in their best to retain the trophy.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
June 25th, 2016.

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