EFCC seizes 29 properties from three ex-Air Force chiefs

Commission seals farms, shopping plazas, hotels in Lagos, Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has seized 29 properties from the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu; a former Chief of Accounts and Budgeting in NAF, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun (retd.); and a former Director of Finance and Budget, Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo (retd.).

No fewer than 11 properties were seized from Amosu; 12 were seized from Adigun and six from Gbadebo.

Our correspondent learnt on Sunday that the properties included three plazas, six mansions, a quarry, a hospital, a block of flats, animal farms, a school, two hotels, some uncompleted buildings and some parcels of land.

According to documents made available exclusively to The PUNCH, the properties were acquired mostly in 2014.

The properties seized from Adigun were said to be worth N9.6bn.

Other properties, said to belong to Adigun, include a 35-room uncompleted hotel on Salt Lake Street, Maitama, Abuja; a parcel of land located on Bourdillon Street, Ikoyi, Lagos; a block of 12 service flats, located on Agodogba Street, Park View Estate, Ikoyi, said to be worth N1.8bn and a quarry in Bwari area of Abuja worth about $694,000.He added, “Adigun spent most of his own share of the money on properties and so we did not recover much cash from him. 

Amosu, however, returned over N2.3bn and raised two bank drafts.” and some properties seized from Amosu included a house on Adeyemo Alakija Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, worth N250m; a duplex at House 11, Peace Court Estate, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, worth N110m; a N40m property located at NAF Harmony Estate, Asokoro Base and a five-bedroomed house at Valley NAF Estate, Port Harcourt, worth N33m.

Others charged alongside the accused persons are Delfina Oil and Gas Limited, McCallan Oil and Gas Limited, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Limited, Trapezites BDC, Funds and Pricey Limited, Degree Oil and Gas Limited, Timsegg Investment Limited and Solomon Healthcare Limited.

One of the charges read in part, “That you (accused persons) on or about the 5th day of March 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit conversion of the sum of N21,467,674,707.43, property of the Nigerian Air Force which was derived from stealing which is contrary to Section18 (A) of the Money Laundering Act of 2012 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.”According to other charges, the accused persons had allegedly used some of the aforementioned companies, which they own, to award phantom contracts to themselves.

Source: Punch