$2.1b arms deal: Presidency detains top military officers

Former chief of defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, and 17 others are being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on their involvement in the arms scandal.

The presidency has detained some of the top military officers under probe for the $2.1 billion arms deal scam at a facility in one of the barracks in Abuja.
The affected officers have also been stripped of their command positions irrespective of their status, whether guilty or not, a source told The Nation yesterday, March 1. Some of those serving military officers who have lost their command positions include: AVM A. M. Mamu(the Chief of Administration); AVM R.A. Ojuawo (Air Officer Tactical Air Command, Makurdi; AVM J.B. Adigun( Chief of Accounts and Budgeting in NAF); AVM T Omenyi (MD, NAF Holdings); Col. N. Ashinze(Designated Military attache to Nigerian Embassy in Germany). Their replacements are: AVM A.A. Jekenu(Chief of Administration); AVM B. G. Saidu(Chief of Policy and plans (DHQ); AVM E.A. Anebi(Director of Production, Defence Headquarters); and AVM E.E. Agwungwu(Acting AOC, Tactical Air Command); and Air Commodore Clement Ogbeche(Chief of Accounts and Budget); AVM Lawal Alao (Managing Director, NAF Holding Company (NAFHC).

READ ALSO: Arms deal probe: Dasuki’s assistant sues EFCC

Last night, a military source told The Nation that: “All the serving military officers have lost their command positions. In fact, irrespective of their status (whether guilty or not), fairness demands that they should step aside until their trial is concluded. He said it is a standard military practice which has to be adhered to, noting that there is no way the officers can still be holding these sensitive military positions while under probe. However, it is not certain whether the officers will be tried at a civil or military tribunal An EFCC source said “I think the weight of their offences and the sensitive nature of infractions will determine whether or not they will be arraigned before the military tribunal or a civil court. “For instance, one of the suspects is from the Intelligence Unit. It will be challenging subjecting such an officer to an open trial in a law court.” Recall that a former chief of defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, and 17 others to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) for investigation on their involvement in the scandal. The list include 11 military officers and two former chiefs of air staff, Air Marshals M.D. Umar and A.N. Amosu(retd.). Meanwhile, Alex Badeh, on Monday, February 29, asked the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release him on health grounds. Badeh’s request was contained in a bail application filed by his legal team led by Chief J.K. Gadzama (SAN) and Samuel Zibiri (SAN).