How EFCC traced Badeh’s properties – Witness Buhari
Nuhu Buhari, a prosecution witness has narrated how the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) discovered properties allegedly bought by former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.
Ex-defence chief Alex Badeh is on trial on a 10-count charge of criminal breach of trust and money laundering of over N3bn
Daily Trust reports that Buhari, an investigator with the EFCC, on Friday, March 24, stated that he led the investigation that probed five properties linked to Badeh and the NAF arms procurement contracts under him.
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The investigator, who was led in evidence by counsel to EFCC Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), listed the properties as: 19 Kumasi Crescent, Wuse 2; No 6 Ogun River, Maitama, Abuja; No 2 Nelson Mandela Street, Asokoro; No 2 Oda Crescent off Addis Ababa Street, Wuse 2, and a shopping mall.
According to Buhari, the team physically visited the properties and even met Alex Badeh Jnr at No 19 Kumasi Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja but he denied ownership of the house and said he was a tenant.
One of the mansions reportedly bought by Badeh
He said further that records showed the said property was allotted to one Oluwatoyin Nike who had sold it to one Mohammed Umar and Kair Sardau at the cost of N260m.
On his part, Sardau admitted buying the property on behalf of Alex Badeh Jnr through Air Commodore S.A Yusha’u, then director of Finance of NAF.
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On the NAF shopping mall which was awarded Rytebuilders Ltd manager Mustapha Yerima, he said investigation established that the N1.2billion award came from the N558.2 billion usually set aside for the NAF chief.
Trial judge Justice Okon Abang adjourned the case to May 2 for hearing.
Meanwhile, the EFCC on Thursday, March 23, secured the conviction and sentences of Innocent Uche Clinton and Emmanuel Okanni.
The duo were arraigned before Justice Sa'ad Muhammad of the Gombe State High Court on two count charge bordering on conspiracy and theft.
The convicts who were sentenced to six months imprisonment, hail from Orlu Ngaba Local Government Area of Imo State.