Former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, spent N320m belonging to the Nigerian Air Force, to purchase a house in Abuja for his 28-year old last son, Kam.
This was revealed on Wednesday by a retired Air Commodore, Aliyu Yishau, who appeared before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Badeh and a firm, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, were arraigned on March 7, 2016 on 10 counts of money laundering involving alleged diversion of about N3.97bn from NAF’s account.
Yisahau, the first prosecution witness in Badeh’s trial, served as a Director of Finance and Account of the Nigerian Air Force while Badeh was the Chief of Air Staff between September 2012 and December 2013.
While being cross-examined by Badeh’s lawyer, Akin Olujinmi (SAN), the witness said the N320m house was the second landed assets acquired in Wuse 2, Abuja by the former Chief of Defence Staff for his children.
He said the first located at No: 19 Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja was bought for Badeh’s first son, Alex Badeh (Jnr) at N260m.
“In my statement to the EFCC, I said the 1st defendant has two property in Wuse 2 that cost N260m and N320m. The house that cost N320m is the house adjacent to No 19 Kumasi Crescent, which was purchased from Honourable Bature.”
“That was the one purchased for the last son of the 1st defendant, by name Kam. I cannot remember the address, but can identify it.”
“I collected the money from the 1st defendant’s (Badeh’s) resident. I take it to my house and ask them to come and collect it. I took the money to his house and he asked me to remove the equivalent of N260m to pay for the house. I deducted the N260m equivalent from the normal monthly N558.2m I take to him.”
“He (the 1st defendant always authorises the deduction for payment whenever I take the monthly money to him. I did not give the house renovation job to Engr Salau. I paid N60m for the renovation of the house based on the instruction of my boss, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.”
Leave a reply