Former Chief of Air staff，Air Vice Marshal Dikko Umar was this morning
arraigned before Justice Binta Nyako of the federal high court in Abuja
on a 7 count charge. The former air chief is being investigated for his
alleged involvement in the misappropriation of funds meant for arms
procurement during the immediate past administration. Air Marshal Umar
was Nigeria’s Chief of Air Staff between 2010 to 2012.Recall that on January 15th President 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.
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) (12) Air Cdre S.A. Yushau
(Rtd) (13) Air Cdre A.O. Ogunjobi (14) Air Cdre G.M.D. Gwani (15) Air
Cdre S.O. Makinde (16) Air Cdre A.Y. Lassa (16) Col N. Ashinze (Special
Military Assistant to former NSA Sambo Dasuki) (17) Lt Col. M.S. Dasuki
(Rtd).
