How Alex Badeh diverted $900,000 for personal use – EFCC

-EFCC accuses former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh of wrongly allocating $900,000 to himself. 

-Badeh served as the 18th Chief of Air Staff, and the 15th Chief of Defence staff of the Nigeria Army. 

A former Chief of Air Staff and Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, has been accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) of diverting the sum of $900,000 from the Nigerian Air Force into his personal account, between January and December 2013.

This was disclosed by Abubakar, Madaki, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, while testifying as the 18th prosecution witness at an Abuja Federal High Court.

Badeh, alongside a company incorporated by him, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited are standing trial on a 10 counts of money laundering bordering on alleged fraudulent removal of about N3.97bn from NAF’s account.

Madaki, while been cross examined by the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, alleged that the sum of $900,000, was deposited in Badeh’s accounts with First Bank between 2012 and 2013.

Madaki disclosed that his team, which was investigating the alleged diversion of funds by the ex-Chief of Staff, “discovered that the first defendant (Badeh) and his wife had earlier incorporated a company Iyalikam Nigeria Limited” in whose accounts they allegedly diverted NAF’s funds.

On a monthly basis, a sum of N558.2m was been withdrawn from the Nigeria Air Force account and set aside for Badeh, the EFCC investigator told the court.

According to Madaki, the cumulative sum of $900,000 was traced as fund diverted by Badeh from NAF accounts shortly after becoming the Chief of Air Staff.

“A total of $900,000 between November 2012 and October or November 2013 was found deposited in the account. The money is believed to be part of funds we are investigating.”

“The first defendant was the Chief of Air Staff and subsequently the Chief of Defence of Staff.

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“Funds from the Nigerian Air Force were being diverted to the second defendant (Iyalikam).

“We also discovered that N558,200, 000 was being set aside for the first defendant from the NAF account every month.

“Part of the funds was exchanged into dollars and handed over to the first defendant.

“Some fractions of the funds were being distributed as directed by the first defendant.

“The major part of the funds was exchanged into dollars and was used to acquire choice properties in Abuja by the director of finance, Salisu Yishau.

“The part of the funds was moved to Right Builders owned by PW4, Mustapha Yerima,” he alleged.