The Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, announced that it will be
arraigning a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar before
Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, tomorrow (Wednesday, May
11, 2016).
File: Ex-Chief of Air Staff, M D Umar Dikko The EFCC in a post on
its official
Facebook page said: “Former Chief of Air Staff M D Umar Dikko to
be arraigned by the EFCC tomorrow, Wednesday, May 11, 2016, before Justice
Binta Murtala Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja.”
Air Marshal Umar was
Nigeria’s Chief of Air Staff between 2010 to 2012. Recall that on January 15,
2016, President Muhammadu Buhari gave
the anti-graft agency the green light to establish the scope of the culpability
of the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex
Sabundu Badeh, former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar (2010
-2012) and the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Nunayon
Amosu, in alleged fraudulent arms purchases for the Air Force between 2007 and
2015. Also lined up for investigation by the anti-graft agency are 14 other
retired and serving military officers and 21 firms said to have been awarded
the contracts.
The companies have been traced to associates and relatives of
some of the suspects. A committee on the audit of defence equipment has
confirmed that Nigeria spent about $2billion and another N29billion on NAF procurement
alone during the period in question. Malam Garba Shehu,Senior Special Assistant
(Media and Publicity) to the President, gave the names of those to be
investigated as:
(1) Air Chief Marshal A.S. Badeh (Rtd)
(2) Air Marshal M.D.
Umar (Rtd)
(3) Air Marshal A.N. Amosu (Rtd)
(4) Maj-Gen. E.R. Chioba (Rtd),
former Director General, Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON)
(5)
AVM I.A. Balogun (Rtd)
(6) AVM A.G. Tsakr (Rtd)
(7) AVM A.G. Idowu (Rtd)
(8)
AVM A.M. Mamu (NAF Chief of Administration)
(9) AVM O.T. Oguntoyinbo (former
Director of Production, Defence Headquarters)
(10) AVM T. Omenyi (MD, NAF
Holdings)
(11) AVM J.B. Adigun (former Chief of Accounts and Budgeting)
(12)
AVM R.A. Ojuawo (Air Force Tactical Air Command, Makurdi)
(13) AVM J.A. Kayode-Beckley
(Director, Armament Research in Air Force Research and Development Centre)
(14)
Air Cdre S.A. Yushau (Rtd)
(15) Air Cdre A.O. Ogunjobi
(16) Air Cdre G.M.D.
Gwani
(17) Air Cdre S.O. Makinde
(18) Air Cdre A.Y. Lassa
(19) Col N. Ashinze
(Special Military Assistant to former NSA Sambo Dasuki)
(20) Lt Col. M.S.
Dasuki (Rtd).
