The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed 10 counts of money laundering against the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.), accusing him of removing a total sum of N3.9bn from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force between January and December, 2013.
Badeh, who has remained in EFCC custody since February 8, is charged along with a firm, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The relationship between Badeh and the company is not disclosed in the charges.
Badeh, who is also a former Chief of Air Staff, will likely be arraigned along with the company on Thursday (today).
Another judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice James Tsoho, had on Monday fixed March 4 (Friday) for ruling on Badeh’s bail application.
The anti-graft agency in the charges, numbered FHC/ABJ/CR/46, 2016, accused Badeh and Iyalikam Nigeria Limited of spending the total sum of N3,974,362,732.94, on acquisition, construction, renovation, furnishing of various properties, including a shopping mall in many choice areas of Abuja.
Some of the properties were said to have been purchased, renovated and furnished for a son of the former CDS, Alex Badeh (Jnr.).
The properties allegedly include a mansion at No. 6, Ogun River Street, off Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja, which the defendants were said to have purchased with N1.1bn.
The accused also allegedly bought a commercial plot of land at Plot 1386, Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone A07, Wuse II, Abuja, for N650m.
They were said to have paid N878m for the construction of a shopping mall at Plot 1386, Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone A07, Wuse II, Abuja, and another sum of N304m to complete the construction.
The anti-graft agency also accused them of paying N260m to purchase a duplex at No. 19 Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, for Badeh’s son.
The sum of N60m was said to have been paid for the renovation of the property and another N90m to furnish the property.
The accused persons also allegedly paid N330m to one Honourable Bature to purchase a duplex at No. 14 Adzope Crescent, Off Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja.
They were also accused of paying N240m to Rabiu Isyaku Rabiu to buy a semi-detached duplex at No. 8A Embu Street, by Sigma Apartment, Wuse II, Abuja.
They also allegedly renovated a private property at No. 2 Nelson Mandela Street, Asokoro, Abuja, with N62m.
In the charges signed by EFCC’s Deputy Director, Legal and Prosecution Department, Aliyu Yusuf, the anti-graft agency alleged that the sum of N3.9bn was removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force.
The commission alleged that the various sums of money were part of proceeds of Badeh’s unlawful activities, which it said constituted a “criminal breach of trust and corruption”.
The money laundering charges are said to be 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.
Some of the charges read, “That you, Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh (whilst being the Chief of Air Staff, Nigerian Air Force) and Iyalikam 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 (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 your reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds 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.
“That you Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh (whilst being the Chief of Air Staff, Nigerian Air Force) and Iyalikam Nigeria Limited between January and December 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did use dollar equivalent of the sum of N650,000,000 (Six hundred and fifty million naira only), removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force, to purchase for yourselves a commercial plot of land, situate at Plot 1386 Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone A07, Wuse II, Abuja, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds 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.
“That you Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh (whilst being the Chief of Air Staff, Nigerian Air Force) and Iyalikam Nigeria Limited between January and December 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did use an aggregate 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), removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force and paid into the account of Rytebuilders Technologies Limited with Zenith Bank Plc for the construction of a shopping mall, situate at Plot 1386 Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone A07, Wuse II, Abuja, for yourselves, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds 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.’’
