Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday arraigned a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Dikko Umar (rtd), on seven counts of alleged money laundering involving diversion of
over N13.5billion during his time as the head of the Nigerian Air Force.
Umar pleaded not guilty to all the seven counts when the charges were read to him before Justice Binta Nyako yesterday.
The judge granted him bail on self recognition shortly after his lawyer, Mr. Hassan Liman, applied for his bail, which the prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir did not oppose.
But the judge ordered the accused to deposit his passport with the registrar of the court.
One of the counts read: “That you, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar, whilst being the Chief of Air Staff, Nigerian Air Force, between September 2010 to September 2012 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, directly converted and removed the United States dollars equivalent of the aggregate sum of N4,846,630,000 (four billion, eight hundred and forty-six million, six hundred and thirty thousand naira) from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity, to wit, criminal breach of trust and corruption, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
A former director of Finance and Accounts at the NAF, Air Commodore Salisu Yushau (rtd) had revealed before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that some past NAF chiefs diverted N558.2million monthly from funds meant for the payment of salaries of NAF officials.
He told the court that the system was in place when he served under former air chief, M. D. Umar, from 2010 to October 2012.
Umar headed the air …Read More
Source:: Nigerian Pilot
