The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has slammed a 10-count criminal charge against the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd) before an Abuja Federal High Court.
Badeh was accused of diverting funds from accounts of the Nigerian Air Force and used same to purchase choice properties in Abuja.
In count-six of the charge, the anti-graft agency alleged that the former Defence boss, between January and December 2013, used N60million to renovate for his son, Alex Badeh Jnr, a duplex situate at No 19 Kumai Crescent, Wuse 11, Abuja.
The commission told the court that Badeh’s son is currently at large. He was said to have paid the sum of N878, 362, 732, 94 into the account of Rytebuilders Technologies Limited with Zenith Bank Plc, for the construction of a shopping mall located at Plot 1386, Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone, A07, Wuse II, Abuja. The charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/46/2016, was signed by the Deputy Director of Legal & Prosecution Department at the EFCC, Mr. Aliyu M. Yusuf. A firm, Iyalikam Nigerian Limited, was equally cited as the 2nd defendant in the charge.
The commission also accused Badeh of acquiring properties with funds he siphoned from accounts of the Nigerian Air Force, included a duplex at No. 14 Adzope Crescent, Off Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, as well as, a semi-detached duplex at No 8A Embu Street, by Sigma Apartment, Wuse II, Abuja. Count one of the charge reads: “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”.
