The house of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh who is still in custody has been searched for documents that may link him to the arms deal scandal by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Badeh, who has been in the EFCC’s detention for nearly 48 hours, is being probed for contracts totalling $930,500,690.00 which were awarded under his leadership.
It was gathered that the EFCC had subjected him to not less than 18 hours of interrogation since he was detained on Monday.
It was also learnt that the commission would, this week, obtain a holding charge to enable it to detain the former Chief of Defence Staff for more than 48 hours.
The money is said to be part of the $2.1bn, meant for the purchase of arms, which was under the control of the Office of the National Security Adviser, then under the headship of Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
Badeh is also said to be answering questions on the 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 provisions of the Public Procurement Act.
There were indications that some serving military officers have been moved to guest houses, pending their interrogation.
It was gathered that some EFCC operatives were drafted to Badeh’s house to retrieve some documents.
According to an insider who said: “After interacting with the ex-CDS for 24 hours, it became important to search his residence for some vital documents. We acted on intelligence report at our disposal.
“After the search, we made necessary documentation of the items retrieved from the place. Such a search is routine when conducting a sensitive investigation like this.
“Badeh underwent another round of grilling yesterday bordering on the procurement of used aircraft.
“The ex-CDS may spend longer days in EFCC custody because of the wider scope of the procurement deals in the Armed Forces.
“He is expected to account for purchase of uniforms for the Armed Forces when some officers and men complained of not getting the required pairs. “On November 26, 2014, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh sought for approval of the award of one pair of uniform(in the interim) for the Armed Forces at N165, 375 to El-Jahab Mubarak Nigeria and N330,750,000 for two pairs’’.
Some serving military officers have been relocated to some Armed Forces guest houses pending their interrogation by the EFCC.
Another source added: “In grilling these officers, we are trying to keep to military tradition of according them the respect befitting of officers.
“You know all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Some of these officers are currently in some military guest houses.”
Besides Badeh, others being interrogated are a former Chief of Air Staff, A.N. Amosu; ex- Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal M.D. Umar; ex-National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki ; Col. N. Ashinze , who was the Special Military Assistant to the ex-NSA; and the most senior Air Force officer, and AVM A. M. Mamu(the Chief of Administration).
Others are AVM O.T. Oguntoyinbo (former Director of Production, Defence Headquarters); AVM R.A. Ojuawo (Air Officer Tactical Air Command, Makurdi; AVM J.B. Adigun(former Chief of Accounts and Budgeting in NAF); and AVM JA Kayode-Beckley(Director, Armament Research in Air Force Research and Development Centre); AVM T Omenyi (MD, NAF Holdings)four top officers at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Air Cdre AO Ogunjobi; Air Cdre GMD Gwani; Air Cdre SO Makinde; and Air Cdre AY Lassa Some of the areas of investigation are as follows:
How 10 contracts totalling $930,500,690.00 were awarded
1. Payment of N4,402,687,569.41 for unexecuted contracts
2. Procurement of two used Mi-24V Helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at $136,944,000.00.
3. 4 used Alpha-Jets for the NAF at US$7,180,000.00 funded by ONSA
4. Cannibalization of engines from NAF fleet to justify procurement of jets
5. Excessive pricing of 36D6 Low Level Air Defence Radar at $33m instead of $6m per one
6. Delivery of radars without vital component of Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) that distinguishes between own and adversary aircraft
7. Strange transfer of $2m to Mono Marine Corporation Nigeria Limited owned by some Air Force officers
8. N15bn lavished on the maintenance of its Alpha-Jets, C-130H aircraft and Mi-24V/35P helicopters.
9. N2.5billion contracts awarded to Syrius Technologies( Ukrainian company) not registered in Nigeria
10. Award of 7 contracts worth N599,118,000.00 contracts to Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria(DICON) but two delivered