EFCC re-arraigns former Chief of Air Staff, Dikko Umar, over alleged N9.7bn fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, re-arraigned a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Umar is facing a 7-count charge of money laundering and procurement fraud to the tune of N9.7billion.
He allegedly used N700million that was withdrawn from NAF account to purchase a property at No 14 Vistula Close, Off Panama Street, Maitama Abuja, during his tenure as Chief of Air Staff between September 2010 and October 2012.
Umar was also accused of using the Dollar equivalent of N500million removed from NAF account to purchase a four bedroom duplex with boys’ quarters at Road 3B Street 2, Mabushi Ministers Hill, Abuja.
Another property at No 14, Audu Bako Way, G.R.A. Kano State, was allegedly acquired with the US Dollar equivalent of N250million by the former NAF boss in 2011.
One of the charges read against Umar at Wednesday’s hearing 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 the United States Dollars equivalent of the aggregate sum of N4, 846,630,000.00 (Four billion, eight hundred and forty six million, six hundred and thirty thousand naira) only removed 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 Section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
Umar, who was first arraigned on May 11, 2016, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Defense counsel, Hassan Liman, SAN, subsequently applied for Umar’s release on bail. Liman prayed the court to allow his client to go home on self-recognition as he was previously allowed to do by Justice Binta Nyako who was formerly in charge of the case.
Counsel to the EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir, however raised concern that he was not very comfortable with one of the bail conditions earlier granted based on ‘self recognition’.
Tahir noted that the bail term had neither price tag nor surety attached.
Presiding judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, ordered that Umar should continue with the earlier bail condition and produce two sureties of either civil servant or business men with a landed property at any satellite area in Abuja.
He warned that failure to meet up with the bail terms within a week will result to Umar, who is also expected to surrender his international passports to the court, being remanded in prison custody.
