Tag Archives: Arms probe

$2.1bn Arms Probe: Colonel Opens Lid On Illicit Deals By Top Officers

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Indications emerged last night that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has received some lead on how some of the indicted top serving and retired military officers looted the nation through fraudulent arms contract and direct diversion of funds meant for arms procurement.

 
Findings have revealed that the arrest and detention of a serving Colonel in the Nigerian Army in relation to the diversion of $2.1 billion meant for arms purchase in the Office of the National Security Adviser, exposed the illicit deals undertaken by the indicted officers.

 

 

Findings also showed that the Colonel, who hails from Delta State and served as a Personal Assistant to the embattled ex-NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, has been telling the anti-graft operatives all that he knows about the arms deals and those who masterminded the looting of the nation’s resources in the name of arms purchase.

 

 

It was on the strength of the revelations by the detained military officer and others, that the EFCC, last week, wrote to the Defence Headquarters to release the affected officers and their retired counterparts, for immediate questioning.

 

 

Indicted officers already on our radar —EFCC

A top EFCC official, who spoke with Vanguard last night, confirmed that some of the indicted men were already under their radar.

 

 

The officer, who declined to give details of what they were doing about the indicted officers, said that EFCC would take immediate steps to carry out the Presidential directive arising from the indictment of the military officers by a panel, which looked into the arms deals.

 

 

The official said: “We intend to carry out the Presidential directive in accordance with our extant rules. Don’t forget that before the directive came, we had already moved to fish out some in the military top brass whose names came up in the course of investigation into the $2.1 arms deals.

 

 

“We also have a serving military officer, who has been telling us some of the things that took place in the name of arms purchase in the ONSA. All these will certainly advance our work.”

 

 

It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, last week, ordered the EFCC to prosecute many top military officers and companies indicted by a Presidential panel that probed the procurement of arms for the country between 2007 and 2015.

 

 

Those to be investigated

Among those mentioned in the panel report as having cases to answer were the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd); former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar (retd), and former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu (retd).

 

 

The others are Major-General E.R. Chioba (retd), Air Vice Marshal I.A. Balogun (retd), Air Vice Marshal A.G. Tsakr (retd), Air Vice Marshal A.G. Idowu (retd), Air Vice Marshal A.M. Mamu, Air Vice Marshal, O.T. Oguntoyinbo, Air Vice Marshal T. Omenyi, Air Vice Marshal J.B. Adigun, Air Vice Marshal R.A. Ojuawo, and Air Vice Marshal J.A. Kayode-Beckley.

 

 

Others are: Air Commodore Sa Yushau (retd), Air Commodore A.O. Ogunjobi, Air Commodore G.M.D. Gwani, Air Commodore S.O. Makinde, Air Commodore A.Y. Lassa, Colonel N. Ashinze, and Lt. Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (retd).

 

 

Also to be investigated are: Himma Aboubakar, Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Services Limited, Messrs Syrius Technologies and Sky Experts Nig Ltd, among others.

 

 

According to the statement, the procurement processes were arbitrarily carried out and characterized by irregularities and fraud, while in many cases, the items procured failed to meet their required purposes, especially the counter insurgency operations in the north east.

 

 

 

Credit : Vanguard

$2.1bn Arms Probe Is A Hoax Aimed At Destroying PDP — Dokpesi

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Former Chairman of DAAR Communication, owners of African Independent Television and Ray Power FM, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, has described the $2.1 billion arms deal probe by the Federal Government that led to the arrest of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki and other members of People Democratic Party, PDP, as a hoax.

 
Addressing newsmen, yesterday, in his office in Abuja when he was honoured by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, youths under the aegis, PDP Youth Vanguard, as their patron with a certificate, Dokpesi, stressed that the $2.1 billion armsgate was not only a figment of the imagination of the Federal Government, but was aimed at destroying PDP.

 
Dokpesi said: “I must hasten to assure you that there is nothing like the much flaunted $2.1 billion armsgate. The competent courts of our land would sooner or later prove this coinage aimed at decimating the leadership and membership of our great party to be nothing but a hoax.

 
“Some of us are reminded of the events of 1984/85 which by any stretch of comparison are similar to the unfolding events of today. As I have said not too long ago, we must stand resolutely united especially in the face of this momentary political adversity. For one thing, I say again that the PDP is not dead, is not dying and will not die.

 
“I wish to emphasise that the current ruling party is making efforts to impede our journey to political maturity through the manipulation of the federal system to serve purely partisan interest.

 
“Our party is indeed experiencing a massive persecution, political reprisal and vendetta, of the kind never before seen on our shores and targeted at the leadership, membership and indeed sympathizers of the PDP by the APC government of the day.

 
We’ll not be weakened

 

“As you all know, so much political water has passed under the bridge since the general elections of April 2015. So much has been said about our members, many of whom have been publicly vilified even without being heard. I assure you that we will not be weakened or demoralised in playing our role as the important opposition voice which is a very critical ingredient in any democratic state.

 
“We may be harassed, we may even be bent, but we are resolute and will not be broken. Even as I speak, the relentless pursuit of our members across the country is being intensified and I can say with some measure of certainty that a lot more lie in stock for the PDP and its members.”

 
Speaking earlier, Coordinator of PDP Youth Vanguard, Ibrahim Bala Aboki, who noted that the group will not relent in its struggle against selective persecution targeted against PDP members, however hailed the dogged spirit exhibited by Dokpesi in trying to galvanize action to ensure the resuscitation of PDP.

 
He said the APC-led federal administration had concluded that whoever joins their party has automatically transformed into saint.

 
He said: “The National Youth Vanguard will always stand by you. We are truly aware that the struggle will not be easy but with God on our side we will surmount the antics and distractions of the APC. The APC has continued to victimize leaders and all members of the PDP through their selective and imaginary fight against corruption.”

 

 

Credit : Vanguard