Former Director of Finance and
Accounts at the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Air Commodore Salisu Abdullahi (retd),
yesterday, exposed how ex-Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Umar, within
two years, siphoned about N13.3 billion from account of the Force.
Umar, who was head of NAF from
September 9, 2010 to October 4, 2012, is facing seven-count money laundering
charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, alleged that he used looted funds and purchased six
choice property in Abuja, Kano and Kaduna States.
Hearing commenced on the matter,
yesterday, with the lead prosecution witness, Air Commodore Abdullahi (retd),
revealing that the defendant diverted N558.2 million monthly from salary
account of the Force. Abdullahi, who was NAF Chief Accountant till December 31,
2013, told the court that though the Force regularly received N4 billion
monthly as its total salary allocation, he said only about N2.4 billion was
eventually spent to pay the entire Air Force personnel.
He said the defendant directed that
N558.2 million of the balance of N1.6 billion from the salary allocation should
always be converted to US dollars and brought to his official residence at
Niger Barracks for his “monthly upkeep.”
The witness told the court that
being the one facilitating the deduction of funds and its conversion to
dollars, Umar okayed the monthly transfer of N200 million to the Directorate of
Account and Finance. He said: “My lord, I told the Chief of Air Staff that my
office didn’t require that amount of money.
So, that N120 million was put under
the Chief of Air Staff’s office which he was using for visits to NAF formations
and other welfare issues. “The balance of about N1 billion was used for
training, maintenance of NAF assets, fleets and other private projects which
include barracks construction and renovations.” Abdullahi said he had, on
several occasions, requested the Finance Officer at NAF headquarters in Abuja,
one Group Captain Bukar, to accompany him to handover the dollars to Umar at
his home.
He said: “This lasted up to his
retirement in September 2012 on a monthly basis. I believe he was using the
money for whatever he wanted. However, he bought some property with the money
we gave him.” Abdullahi told the trial court that he helped the former NAF boss
to acquire four choice property in Abuja with over N2.3 billion.
Some of defendant’s acquisitions
Highlighting some of the defendant’s acquisitions, the PW-1 revealed that Umar
used N700 million that was withdrawn from NAF account to purchase a property at
No 14 Vistula Close, Off Panama Street, Maitama Abuja.
He purchased another mansion at
1853, Deng Xiao Ping Street, off Mahathir Mohammed Street, Asokoro Extension
Abuja with N860 million and renovated it with N66 million that was transferred
from NAF operations account domiciled at UBA Plc, into Stanbic IBTC account No.
9202077424 belonging to Capital Law office. He used another N500 million
removed from NAF account to purchase a four bedroom duplex with boys quarters
at Road 3B Street 2, Mabushi Ministers Hill, Abuja.
Besides, the witness also revealed
that Umar used the US dollar equivalent of N250 million to purchase a property
situated at 14, Audu Bako Way, G.R.A. Kano State, in 2011, and equally paid N80
million for a property at 9, Cabala Road in Kaduna.
He said: “Sometime between November/
December 2010, my boss the then Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal M.D. Umar,
called me and asked me to get somebody who can find a house for him in Maitama
where he intends to settle down after retirement.
“I told one of my friends Mr Hussein
Umar, about what the defendant wanted. After a couple of days, he came back and
told me he has found a house, a duplex with swimming pool and two boys
quarters. “My boss asked me to take him to inspect the property. He gave us
time in the evening and we went to check it.
“My boss saw the house and he was
very happy. He gave Mr Umar the go ahead to make agreement. The price was N700
million and the CAS authorised that I should pay from the money we usually give
him monthly.”
“I then directed the Finance
Officer, Bukar to give the lawyer the equivalent of N700m in Dollars. “The
defendant gave me the name which should be used to prepare the Deed of
Assignment. The name was Mohammed Mai Jammar. “I gave the name to the lawyer.
Afterwards the documents were brought to me for onward transmission to the
defendant. “Sometimes in early 2012, the defendant called me and requested that
I should get that same person to get a house for him in Asokoro because he
doesn’t want to stay in Maitama again.
“I called the lawyer, after two days
he told me of two properties in Asokoro. “I went along with Barr. Hussein to
inspect the properties, thereafter I told the defendant that the lawyer has
located two very good houses. Inspection visit was arranged and I went with the
defendant for the inspection. “After the inspection he settled for the one at
Plot No 1853 at Deng Xiao Ping Street, Off Mahathir Mohammed Street, Asokoro
Extension Abuja.
“My lord this is a duplex of about
six bedrooms and an underground Hall, boys Quarters, a Gym and Swimming Poll
and two bedroom guest Charlet. “Just like the previous house at Maitama, he
also gave me the same name, Mohammed Mai Jammar for the preparing of the Power
of Attorney and Deed of Assignment. After which Barr. Hussein brought the
documents for transmission to my boss.
“After that the defendant said he
wanted a small mosque to be constructed and to reduce the depth of the swimming
pool because of the Children. So one Architect Saka was brought. “The price was
agreed at N66m and the defendant gave the go ahead with payment. That was the
end of the transaction.
“Something in 2011, the defendant
asked me to go to Kano and ask someone to look for a befitting house so that
whenever he comes home he will have a place to stay. “I went to Kano and met a
friend Jubril Shuaibu Ala who helped me to get an agent that helped us to get a
house. That was how No 14 Audu Bako Way in Kano was purchased. “It was a seven
bedroom duplex with an enclosed swimming pool, about three living rooms, a
study, a long tennis court, and a squash court and a also a two bedroom boys
Quarters.
“The house belonged to one Sudanese
by name Mustapha. I inspected the house and told the defendant. During our next
visit to Kano, we went to the house at night. He met the owner and had some discussions.
Subsequently, the amount was agreed at N250m. “My boss the defendant, after
returning to Abuja, gave the money equivalent of the money in US Dollars.
“I cannot remember the name he used for the
Title Deeds, but all the documents were given to me and I handed it over to the
defendant “The next property was on No 9 Cabala Road in Kaduna. It was also in
2011 that the defendant told me he needed a house in Kaduna because he was he
has attraction for the state where he grew up. “The building was a Guest House
for Armed Forces Command at Jiaji.
It was sold to the then Commandant
of the College, Air Sunday Ali Meks by then Presidential Committee on sale of
government properties. “Meks called me to say he had no intention of having any
property in Kaduna. He called me because he was the last Commandant I worked
with before I was posted to headquarters in Abuja. “I then told the defendant
who was my boss about the property.
He told me he would want to get the
property but didn’t want Air Vice Marshal Meks to know. So I brought one Alhaji
Kabiru Ismaila who was into properties who agreed to buy it on behalf of the
defendant. “The price was agreed at N80m. I told the defendant about the
arrangement so he gave me the money to make the purchase. It was paid in Dollars.
“Thereafter, my boss asked me to get somebody
to reconstruct the house. Alhaji Ismaila Kabiru was then given the job. “The
last property was at Ministers’ Hill. This was a property that was built by my
colleague Bukka. It was a land owned by a former Minister Yahaya Abdulkareem.
“When I came back from Defence College in January 2012, Bukka told me that the
house I was staying at No 8 Embu Street in Wuse 2, Abuja, is a house the
defendant assisted him to buy. “He said it was not appropriate for me to be
living there because it is an estate.
He wanted me to move to his own
place so that he can take over my own. “I refused initially but when his friend
put pressure on me I reluctantly agreed on condition that I would move on my
own, that being after I leave headquarters.
He agreed and subsequently moved to
the United Kingdom for a course. “In September 2012 when the defendant was
retired. His House at Asokoro was not ready because of renovation going on.
He needed a house he can quickly
move into after leaving the official residence of the Chief of Air Staff. “At
that time, he could not get a property to let for one year. So, I remembered
this House at Mabushi. I met my boss that if they could manage that place at
Mabushi. I explained to him how I came about the place. “He told me to tell my
wife to go and pick his wife and show her the place.
His wife was happy with the place
when she saw it. That was how they moved into the house to enable the new Chief
of Air Staff to move into his official residence. “He was living there up till
December 31, 2013 when I was retiring.
Sometime early 2014, he told me it was time
for them to give me my house. But I felt there is no way I will move into a
house former Chief of Staff has lived in. It was so in the military. I felt
there is no way that me, a Former Director of Finance, can takeover a house
formerly occupied by the defendant who must have been visited by a lot of
people.
“So I told his brother one Abdullahi
Mahmud Giya, now a house member. He advised that I should sale it. He went and
discussed with my boss, the defendant, and it was agreed that the defendant
should pay me N500m.
“I told Bukar of the development and
why I had to take the decision. The defendant later gave me the N500m in
Dollars and I used it to re-purchase the house and No 8 Embu Street from Bukar
who was then in UK.
“My stay as Director of Finance and
Accounts extended beyond the tenure of the defendant. I believe it was based on
his advice that Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh retained me in the position when
he was appointed.
“This was because the defendant knew
I wanted to leave the service but the defendant urged me to oblige if the new
Chief wishes to retain me. I told him I was tired and wanted to leave the
service”, Abdullahi added. Meantime, trial Justice Nnamdi Dimgba adjourned the
case till February 16 to enable Umar’s lawyer, Mr. Hassan Liman, SAN, to
cross-examine the witness.
Source:Vanguard
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