One of the Nigerian
Air Force (NAF) chiefs implicated in the $2.1 billion arms deal and put
under house arrest at Niger Barracks, Abuja has returned N66
million of the N90
million, allegedly traced to him, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Consequently, the officer, a Principal Staff Officer
at NAF Headquarters, was released from detention and asked to go and look for
the balance of the money.
An EFCC source, however, said this did not mean he is
completely exonerated.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that the other officers being
detained by the NAF High Command,
on behalf of the EFCC, were not allowed the privileged
because they had refused to cooperate
fully with the EFCC interrogation team even though some had returned exotic
cars and other valuables.
It was also gathered that an Air Commodore, said to
have benefitted from the arms deal and
has properties in Dubai, Kaduna and Abuja, has been arrested and is in
detention.
One of the
detained Air Vice Marshals (AVMs) is said to be the leader of the team that
went to buy aircraft with
incomplete parts and also inflated the price from $6million to over
$30million.
NAF High
Command had, on Thursday, stepped up its anti-corruption war with the removal
of some officers including Air Officers Commanding and Principal Staff officers
fingered in the arms deal and appointed
new Air Officers Commanding.
Meanwhile, the
wife of a former Chief of the Air Staff, Mrs. Lara Amosu, detained overnight by
the EFCC, has been freed. Sunday Vanguard gathered that the wife was detained
following certain accounts related to her husband, being investigated in connection with the
$2.1 billion arms cash, allegedly traced to her.
Although the exact figure and details of the
accounts were not made public, EFCC was said to have interrogated her for hours
last week in Lagos. But a source close to the investigation confirmed the woman
had been released on bail.
“She is not in
our custody having been granted administrative bail. She will be asked to
report back whenever we need her for further investigation,” the source said.
The source said the money allegedly recovered from the
former air chief’s house in Lagos had been kept as exhibit to be used when the
trial of suspects in the arms deal begins.
The source
further alleged that some properties belonging to the former CAS were also held
in trust for him by Lara and her children. There were earlier reports that the
anti-graft agency had uncovererd N17.5 billion in the accounts of wives of
three airforce chiefs.
