Arms Deals: Bank Accounts Of Ex-Military Chiefs Restricted

The Special Investigative Panel on arms procurement may have indicted two former Chiefs of Army Staff and 14 serving officers of the army in its investigation of arms contracts for the military, The

Nation can reveal.This comes just 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari mandated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to establish the scope of the culpability of the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh; former Chief of Air
Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Umar (2010 -2012) and the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola 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.There were indications last night that the appropriate government agencies might have placed restriction on the accounts of Badeh and the others being probed along with him.The military authorities have already recalled two of the officers listed for interrogation by EFCC from terminal leave.Highly placed sources said yesterday that the second leg of investigation of procurement deals in the army has already been concluded.This aspect of the investigation, a source said yesterday, “traced some deals to two ex-Chiefs of Army Staff and 14 others.”“The recommendations on these serving and retired officers have been referred to the presidency.One of the officers even diverted arms funds for political purposes,” the source added.“So, what we did was just to wrap up the report on the sleaze in the Nigerian Air Force for consideration by the Presidency. We are doing it in batches.”Other sources said that a restriction order had been placed on the accounts of ex-CDS Badeh and the 17 other retired and serving officers facing interrogation.
The Nation