The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission has arrested and detained the immediate past Chief of Air Force,
Adesola Amosu.
Mr. Amosu, an air vice marshal, who
was retired last year, alongside other military chiefs, is allegedly being
detained over allegation of corruption in arms procurement during his tenure.
An official of the EFCC confirmed
the development to PREMIUM TIMES Thursday.
The official said Mr. Amosu was
arrested on Wednesday.
President Muhammadu Buhari had
recently directed the EFCC to investigate the former air chief and other
serving and retired military officers over alleged misconduct established
against them.
Among those to be investigated
include the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, former
Chief of Defence Staff, Marshal Alex Badeh and another former Chief of Air
Staff, Mohammed Umar.
Mr. Dasuki is currently facing
charges over alleged $2.1 billion arms procurement deal.
A panel investigating arms
procurement during the Goodluck Jonathan administration had submitted an
interim report to Mr. Buhari alleging that equipment procurement in the air
force during Mr. Amosu’s reign was characterised by fraud.
“The procurement processes were
arbitrarily carried out and generally characterized by irregularities and
fraud,” the panel said. “In many cases, the procured items failed to meet the
purposes they were procured for, especially the counter insurgency efforts in
the North East.”
In details made public by
presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, on January 15, the panel said, “A major
procurement activity undertaken by ONSA for NAF was that concerning the
contracts awarded to Societe D’ Equipment Internationaux (SEI) Nig Ltd.
“Between January 2014 and February
2015, NAF awarded 10 contracts totalling Nine Hundred and Thirty Million, Five
Hundred Thousand, Six Hundred and Ninety US Dollars ($930,500,690.00) to SEI
Nig Ltd.
“Letters of award and End User
Certificates for all the contracts issued by NAF and ONSA respectively did not
reflect the contract sums. Rather, these were only found in the vendor’s
invoices, all dated 19 March 2015.
Additionally, some of the award
letters contained misleading delivery dates suggesting fraudulent intent in the
award process. The observed discrepancies are in clear contravention of extant
procurement regulations.
“The SEI contracts included
procurement of two used Mi-24V Helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M
series at the cost of One Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Nine Hundred and
Forty Four Thousand US Dollars ($136,944,000.00).
“However, it was confirmed that the
helicopters were excessively priced and not operationally air worthy at the
time of delivery. A brand new unit of such helicopters goes for about Thirty
Million US Dollars ($30m).
Furthermore, the helicopters were
delivered without rotor blades and upgrade accessories.
“Additionally, the helicopters were
undergoing upgrade while being deployed for operation in the North East without
proper documentation. It was further established that as at date, only one of
the helicopters is in service while the other crashed and claimed the lives of
two NAF personnel.
“The Committee established that
ONSA also funded the procurement of 4 used Alpha-Jets for the NAF at the cost
of Seven Million, One Hundred and Eighty Thousand US Dollars ($7,180,000.00).
However, it was confirmed that only 2 of the Alpha-Jet aircraft were ferried to
Nigeria after cannibalization of engines from NAF fleet.
“This is contrary to the written
assertion of the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal AN Amosu to the former
NSA that all the 4 procured Alpha-Jets aircraft were delivered to the NAF.
“The non-militarisation of the
Alpha-Jets made them unsuitable for deployment to the North East and they are
currently deployed only for training at NAF Kainji.
“Furthermore, the procurement of
the Alpha-Jets was contrary to the recommendation of the assessment team. The
Committee found that the conduct of Air Marshal Amosu was deliberately
misleading and unpatriotic.
“The contract for the procurement
of 36D6 Low Level Air Defence Radar for the NAF was awarded to GAT Techno
Dynamics Ltd in April 2014 at the cost of Thirty Three Million US Dollars
($33m) and was funded by ONSA.
“The Committee established that the
radars were excessively priced as a complete set of such radars (comprising 6
radars including the Control Centre) goes for Six Million US Dollars ($6m)
averagely. The Committee observed that the radars were delivered without the
vital component of Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) that distinguishes
between own and adversary aircraft, which has significantly degraded the
operational capabilities of the NAF in the North East.
“It was further observed that the
sum of Three Million, Three Hundred Thousand US Dollars ($3.3m) was
fraudulently included in the contract agreement as VAT and With Holding Tax and
subsequently paid into the bank accounts of Spacewebs Interservices Ltd and
Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd.
“The Committee further established
that Two Million US Dollars ($2m) from the proceeds was transferred to Mono
Marine Corporation Nig Ltd, which is jointly owned by principal characters in
this deal. The Committee opined that the infractions of extant regulations by
these companies were clearly intended to defraud.
“It was established that between
September 2009 and May 2015, the NAF expended about Fifteen Billion Naira
(N15bn) on the maintenance of its Alpha-Jets, C-130H aircraft and Mi-24V/35P
helicopters. Out of this amount, Four Billion, Four Hundred and Two Million,
Six Hundred and Eighty Seven Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty Nine Naira, Forty
One Kobo (N4,402,687,569.41) was paid out for contracts not executed.
“It was also observed that in
carrying out these maintenance activities, contracts worth over Two Billion,
Five Hundred Million Naira (N2.5bn) were awarded to Syrius Technologies, a
Ukrainian company that was not registered in Nigeria. Regrettably, in spite of these
expenditures, the status of NAF fleet remained operationally appalling as only
3 Alpha-Jets, 2 C-130H and one each of Mi-24V and Mi-35P were serviceable as at
28 May 15.
“In October 2013, NAF awarded
contracts to DICON for the supply of weapons and ammunition at the cost of Five
Hundred and Ninety Nine Million, One Hundred and Eighteen Thousand Naira
(N599,118,000.00). However, only 2 of the 7 items contracted were delivered to
NAF while the outstanding 5 items remained undelivered despite repeated requests
to DICON.
“The Committee also found that the
delivered ammunition were about 40 years old, thereby casting doubts on their
shelf life. The failure of DICON to fully execute the contract and the delivery
of aged ammunition diminished the capacity of the NAF in North East operation.
“The Committe uncovered insider
dealings by military officers in procurement activities undertaken by ONSA and
the NAF. The officers were found to have misused or abused their offices for
personal gains by influencing award of contracts to private companies in which
they have substantial interests.
“For instance, an officer serving
in the ONSA used his office to secure 2 contracts for his company, Geonel
Integrated Services Ltd, for the protection of 20 Dams and Presidential Air
Fleet security at the cost of Six Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira
(N6,250,000,000.00) and Five Million US Dollars ($5m) respectively.
“Furthermore, some NAF officers
used their companies to collect VAT and With Holding Tax that were never
remitted to FIRS while another officer was found to have cross transferred
about Five Hundred Million Naira (N500m) between a NAF company, Aeronautical
Engineering and Technical Services Limited, SkyExperts Nig Ltd and Huzee Nig
Ltd, companies in which he had personal interests.
“It would be recalled that in its
First Interim Report, the Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment established
that the sum of Six Hundred and Forty Three Billion Naira (N643bn) and Two
Billion, One Hundred Million US Dollars ($2.1bn) interventions were received
for defence procurements by DHQ and the Services between 2007 and 2015.
“In continuation of its assignment,
the Committee has so far established that the nation spent about Twenty Nine
Billion Naira (N29bn) and Two Billion US Dollars ($2bn) on NAF procurement
activities alone.
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