A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has
remanded the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air
Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, who was accused of
diverting over N3.9billion from accounts of the
Nigerian Air Force, in prison custody.
Trial Justice Okon Abang remanded the ex-CDS
at Kuje prison, Abuja, after he pleaded not guilty
to an 11-count criminal charge the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
preferred against him.
The court said Badeh should remain in prison till Thursday
when his bail application will be
heard, even as it slated March 14 to commence full-blown hearing on the
matter.
The former military chief was In the charge marked FHC/
ABJ/CR/46/2016,
alleged to have used the looted funds to purchase choice properties within the
highbrow areas in Abuja.
The commission equally cited a firm, Iyalikam Nigerian Limited,
as the 2nd defendant in the charge bordering on
money laundering, corruption and criminal
breach of trust.
The charge dated February 26, was signed by the
Deputy Director of Legal & Prosecution
Department at the EFCC, Mr. Aliyu M. Yusuf.
According to the anti-graft agency, Badeh had
between January and December, 2013, used
dollar equivalent of the sum of N650m, to
purchase a commercial plot of land situate at
plot 1386, Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone, A07,
Wuse II, Abuja.
Badeh was said to have between March 28 and
December 5, 2013, paid the sum of N878, 362,
732, 94 (Eight Hundred and Seventy-Eight
Million, Three Hundred and Sixty Two Thousand,
Seven Hundred and Thirty-Two Naira, Ninety-
Four Kobo) which he removed from the account
of the Nigerian Air Force, into the account of
Rytebuilders Technologies Limited with Zenith
Bank Plc, for the construction of a shopping mall
on the plot.
He was also alleged to have diverted another
dollar equivalent of N304m to the firm,
Rytebuilders Technologies Limited, for the
completion of the shopping mall.
Whereas EFCC, in count five of the charge,
alleged that Badeh used dollar equivalent of the
sum of N260m which he removed from the
accounts of the Nigerian Air Force and paid to
one Ouwatoyin Oke through Platinum Universal
Project and Construction to purchase a duplex
for his son, Alex Badeh Jnr, it said the defendant
further used N60m to renovate the property
situate at No 19 Kumai Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja
The prosecution alleged in count-seven of the
charge that Badeh used N90m to furnish the
said duplex he bought for his son.
The commission told the court that Badeh Jnr.
was on the run.
Besides, EFCC, in count-eight of the charge,
alleged that the defendant used the sum of
$2m, equivalent of the sum of N330m, which he
removed from the coffers of the Nigerian Air
Force, and paid one honourable Bature to
purchase another duplex for him at No. 14
Adzope Crescent, Off Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II,
Abuja, as well as gave one Rabiu Isyaku Rabiu
the dollar equivalent of the sum of N240m to
purchase a semi-detached duplex at No 8A
Embu Street, for him.
In count nine, EFCC alleged that Badeh and his
son (at large), sometime in April 2014, in Abuja,
“did use dollar equivalent of the sum of N62,
000, 000.00 (Sixty Two Million Naira only)
removed rom the accounts of the Nigerian Air
Force and paid Kabiru Sallau/Platinum Universal
Projects to renovate a private property situate
at No. 2 Nelson Mandela Street, Asokoro, Abuja,
when you reasonably ought to have known that
the said funds formed part of the proceed of
unlawful activity (to wit: criminal breach of trust
and corruption) Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh
and you thereby committed an offence contrary
to section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering
(Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and
punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act".
One of the charges read: "That you Air Chief
Marshal Alex S. Badeh (whilst being the Chief of
Air Staff, Nigerian Air Force) and Iyalikan Nigeria
Limited, between January and December, 2013,
in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this
honourable court, did use dollar equivalent of
the sum of N1, 100, 000, 000.00 (One Billion,
One Hundred Million Naira only), removed from
the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force, to
purchase for yourselves a mansion situate at
No. 6 Ogun River Street, Off Danube Street,
Maitama, Abuja, when you reasonably ought to
have known that the said funds formed part of
proceed of unlawful activity (to wit: criminal
breach of trust and corruption) of Air Chief
Marshal Alex S. Badeh, and you thereby
committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)
(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act,
2011 (as amended) and punishable under
section 15(3) of the same Act".
Justice John Tsoho of the same high court had
last Friday, declined to order the EFCC to release
Badeh who has been in detention since
February 8, on bail.
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