$2.1bn arms deal: presidency moves against top military officers
– Some military officers under probe are being detained in Abuja
– Affected officers have been stripped of their command positions
– Uncertain if the officers will be tried by a military tribunal or by a civil court
The former chief of defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, and 17 others are being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over their involvement in the arms scandal.
Top military officers under investigation for the $2.1 billion arms deal scam have been detained at a facility in a barracks in Abuja.
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The affected officers have also been stripped of their command positions irrespective of their status, whether guilty or not, a source told The Nation yesterday, March 1.
Some of those serving military officers who have lost their command positions include AVM A. M. Mamu, the chief of administration; AVM R.A. Ojuawo, the air officer, Tactical Air Command, Makurdi; AVM J.B. Adigun, the chief of accounts and budgeting in the NAF); AVM T Omenyi, MD, NAF Holdings; and Col. N. Ashinze, the designated military attache to the Nigerian Embassy in Germany.
Their replacements are: AVM A.A. Jekenu, the chief of administration; AVM B. G. Saidu, the chief of policy and plans (DHQ); AVM E.A. Anebi, the director of production, Defence Headquarters; AVM E.E. Agwungwu, the acting AOC, Tactical Air Command; Air Commodore Clement Ogbeche, the chief of accounts and budget; and AVM Lawal Alao, the managing director of NAF Holding Company (NAFHC).
Last night, a military source told The Nation that: “All the serving military officers have lost their command positions. In fact, irrespective of their status (whether guilty or not), fairness demands that they should step aside until their trial is concluded.
He said it is a standard military practice which has to be adhered to, noting that there is no way the officers can still be holding these sensitive military positions while under investigation.
However, it is not certain whether the officers will be tried at a civil or military tribunal.
An EFCC source said “I think the weight of their offences and the sensitive nature of infractions will determine whether or not they will be arraigned before the military tribunal or a civil court.
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“For instance, one of the suspects is from the Intelligence Unit. It will be challenging subjecting such an officer to an open trial in a law court.”
A former chief of defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, and 17 others are already under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over their involvement in the scandal.
The list includes 11 military officers and two former chiefs of air staff, Air Marshals M.D. Umar and A.N. Amosu (retd.).
Badeh’s request was contained in a bail application filed by his legal team led by Chief J.K. Gadzama (SAN) and Samuel Zibiri (SAN).
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