Arms Deal: Audit C’ttee Sends Names Of Three Ex-Army Chiefs, Others To EFCC

EFCC-boys1-638x300The Presidential committee auditing arms purchases from 2007 to 2015 has forwarded additional names of senior military officers to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation.

Aside the three former Army Chiefs, the list sent to the EFCC contains the names of many serving and retired officers.

It was learnt that the new list also had more names than the one earlier transmitted to the anti-graft agency by President Muhammadu Buhari on the recommendations of the audit committee last month.

The first set of 17 officers indicted and asked to be further investigated by the EFCC are former Chief of Defence Staff, Retired Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh; Former Chief of Air Staff, Retired Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar, and former Chief of Air Staff, Retired Air Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu.

The EFCC currently has in custody, Mr. Amosu.

The commission had also sealed multi-million naira property and estates belonging to some of the retired military officers.

Investigations into the culpability of those recommended for further investigation has not been concluded, sources said, attributing the development to the non-appearance of some of them invited for questioning to answer allegations levelled against them.

Another reason, the source said, was the refusal of some of the suspects under detention to sign undertakings to return some of the funds they allegedly stole.

In a related development, the EFCC is set to receive Mr. Badeh any time from now.

This is sequel to an invitation sent to the former Defence Chief on Monday.

Besides purchase of equipment and Alpha Jets, the retired Air Chief Marshal might be quizzed on the spending of N330.75 million on uniforms for the Armed Forces.

A source close to retired Air Chief Marshal Badeh affirmed that the ex-CDS got the EFCC invitation and is prepared to answer any questions relating to his tenure because he has nothing to hide.