Four senior officers of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), who were indicted by the 13-man Presidential Panel auditing arms and equipment procured between 2007 and 2015 have been taken into custody by the military.
It was learnt that the category of officers being detained at a military formation in Abuja, are serving officers and those on terminal leave, who have since been quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
As is the case in the military, the indicted officers may lose command, should the anticipated trial based on military rule finds them guilty of such offences as may be preferred. Meanwhile, other indicted officers, who have yet to be interrogated by operatives of the anti-graft agency, still resume for normal duties at the posts.
“The indicted serving officers and those on terminal leave, are currently being kept at a military facility at one of the barracks in Abuja. “In fact, only their wives and lawyers have access to them at the moment, while communication with the outside world has been cut off.
“I wish to also let you know that their travelling documents have been seized pending conclusion of investigation,” the source said. Another source, who also spoke in confidence, said the military will do everything legitimate, to ensure that officers that offend both the military and civil laws, are made to face trial.
“The Nigerian military is a law-abiding institution and to that extent, will cooperate with lawful agencies of the government, to move the country forward,” a senior military officer said.
It will be recalled that the EFCC, on Sunday, arrested Air Vice Marshal R.A. Ojuawo, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Tactical Air Command, Makurdi, Benue State. Ojuawo was arrested by EFCC operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, on his way to Germany. The AVM was in the entourage of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin, who was travelling to attend a meeting of the United States Africa Command in Germany.
The senior officer is among the 17 serving and retired officers indicted by the presidential audit panel on arms procurement. AVM Ojuawo served as Director of Operations under a former Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (rtd), who is also being investigated and in EFCC’s custody over the arms deal.
It was learnt that Ojuawo allegedly signed most of the procurement papers for NAF arms, ammunition and helicopters running into billions of naira.
President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the EFCC to conduct further investigation on the indictment of Amosu, former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd); Air Marshal MD Umar (Rtd), Maj- Gen. ER Chioba (Rtd), AVM I.A. Balogun (Rtd), AVM A.G. Tsakr (Rtd), AVM AG Idowu (Rtd), AVM A.M. Mamu, AVM O.T. Oguntoyinbo, and AVM T Omenyi. Others were: AVM JB Adigun, AVM R.A. Ojuawo, AVM JA Kayode- Beckley, Air Cdre S.A. Yushau (Rtd), Air Cdre AO Ogunjobi, Air Cdre GMD Gwani, Air Cdre SO Makinde, Air Cdre AY Lassa, Col. N. Ashinze and Lt Col. M.S. Dasuki (Rtd). Badeh, Amosu and Adigun have been arrested by the EFCC and are still in the custody. Over N29 billion and $2 billion had been expended on NAF procurement activities alone between 2007 and 2015.
It will be recalled that in its first interim report, the Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment established that the N643 billion and $2.1 billion interventions were received for defence procurements by Defence Headquarters (DHQ) and the Services between 2007 and 2015.
The other officers are being investigated over 10 NAF contracts totalling $930,500,690 awarded to Societe D’ Equipments Internationaux (SEI) Nig. Ltd. between January 2014 and February 2015. The award letters, according to the arms probe panel, contained misleading delivery dates, suggesting fraudulent intent in the award process.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu had, in a statement, said the arms procurement processes were arbitrarily carried out and generally characterised by irregularities and fraud. He further noted: “Between January 2014 and February 2015, NAF awarded 10 contracts totalling $930,500,690 to SEI Nig. Ltd. “The SEI contracts included procurement of two used Mi-24V Helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at the cost of $136,944,000.
“However, it was confirmed that the helicopters were excessively priced and not operationally airworthy at the time of delivery. A brand new unit of such helicopters goes for about $30 million. Furthermore, the helicopters were delivered without rotor blades and upgrade accessories.”
Shehu noted further that “the committee established that ONSA also funded the procurement of four used Alpha-Jets for the NAF at the cost of $7,180,000. However, it was confirmed that only two of the Alpha-Jet aircraft were ferried to Nigeria after cannibalisation of engines from NAF fleet.
“This is contrary to the written assertion of the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal AN Amosu to the former NSA that all the four procured Alpha-Jets aircraft were delivered to the NAF. “The committee established that the radars were excessively priced as a complete set of such radars (comprising 6 radars including the Control Centre) goes for $6 million averagely…”.