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Tag: Alex Badeh

  • How Badeh’s wife, two sons escaped to U.S., says witness

    How Badeh’s wife, two sons escaped to U.S., says witness

    Federal High Court in Abuja heard yesterday how the wife of former Chief of Air Staff (COAS), Alex Badeh and his two sons escaped to the United States (U.S.) on learning that they were being investigated in relation to alleged fraud involving Badeh.

    A prosecution witness, Abubakar Madaki, who testified at yesterday’s proceedings in the Bdeh’s trial, gave details of how the allegations against Badeh were investigated.

    Madaki, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was led in evidence by lead prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), as the prosecution’s 18th witness.

    He gave Badeh’s wife’s name as Mary and his two sons as Alex Badeh (Jr) and Kam.

    He said his team of investigators was able to link some properties allegedly bought by Badeh through proxies to him from the movement of funds from the Nigerian Air Force’s account to the sellers.

    The witness said: “As of today, the subsequent buyers have not registered their interests.

    “Since the subsequent buyers have not registered their interests, as I earlier stated, we got the occupants of the property and those working on the projects, who took us to the final owners of the properties, because the properties have gone to three owners from the original owners.

    “It was the last owners of the properties that we traced the funds from the Nigerian Air Force to, via the agents.”

    He said Badeh’s wife and two of his children were being investigated for offences with which the ex-Chief of Air Staff, was charged.

    He said the three of them, however, escaped to the United States of America before investigation was concluded.

    He said all attempts to get them arrested turned out to be futile.

    At a point, the prosecuting lawyer, Jacobs sought the court’s permission to play a video recording of how the EFCC allegedly recovered $1 million on a property said to be owned Badeh in Abuja.

    When the court granted his request, Jacobs said he would bring another witness through whom he would play the video recording.

    Earlier, in a ruling, Justice Okon Abang admitted as exhibits title documents of a N650 million Abuja property sold by Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose to buyers from who Badeh allegedly bought the property.

    The trial resumes on November 1.

  • How Badeh’s wife, two sons escaped to US – witness

    How Badeh’s wife, two sons escaped to US – witness

    A Federal High Court in Abuja heard Wednesday how the wife of former Chief of Air Staff (COAS), Alex Badeh and his two sons escaped to the United States on learning that they were being investigated in relation to alleged fraud involving Badeh.

    A prosecution witness, Abubakar Madaki, who testified at Wednesday’s proceedings in the Bdeh’s trial gave details of how the allegations against Badeh was investigated.

    Madaki, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was led in evidence by lead prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) as the prosecution’s 18th witness.

    He gave Badeh’s wife’s name as Mary and his two sons as Alex Badeh (Jr) and Kam.

    He said his team of investigators was able to link some properties allegedly bought by Badeh through proxies to him from the movement of funds from the Nigerian Air Force’s account to the sellers.

    The witness said, “As of today, the subsequent buyers have not registered their interests.

    “Since the subsequent buyers have not registered their interests, as I earlier stated, we got the occupants of the property and those working on the projects, who took us to the final owners of the properties, because the properties have gone to three owners from the original owners.

    “It was the last owners of the properties that we traced the funds from the Nigerian Air Force to, via the agents.”

    He said Badeh’s  wife and two of his children  were being investigated for offences with which the ex-Chief of Air Staff, was charged.

    He said the three of them, however, escaped to the United States of America before investigation was concluded.

    He said all attempts to get them arrested turned out to be futile.

    He said, “At the initial stage, when we started investigation, we invited Alex Badeh (Jnr.) (Badeh’s son) who lives in 19 Kumasi Crescent, Abuja, one of the properties, among the properties earlier mentioned.

    “He happened to be a son of the first defendant (Badeh). He claimed to be a tenant in that property and since investigation was ongoing at the preliminary stage, we allowed him to go to come back when we had enough issues to question him about.

    “He left and never came back. We later got to know that he has left the country for America

    “We were also looking for Mary Iya Badeh, the wife of the first defendant, who is one of the directors in the second defendant (Iyalikam Nigeria Limited).

    “The second defendant (Iyalikam) had received so much funds from the alleged funds we are investigating.

    “She too, according to investigation has left the country for America.

    “Kam Badeh (another of Badeh’s son)  is one of the directors in one of the companies.

    “We have gone round the locations that we had information that he does business, but we are unable to get him.

    “Since the information was that they left through the International Airport, we wrote a letter to the Nigerian Immigration Service and the  Department of Security Service to watch-list them.

    “But We have not been able to get them,” the witness said.

    He said when his team concluded investigation in the case, it “discovered that the first defendant (Badeh) and his wife had earlier incorporated a company Iyalikam Nigeria Limited” in whose accounts they allegedly diverted the Nigerian Air Force’s funds.

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

    “Part of the funds were being 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 were moved to Right Builders owned by PW4, Mustapha Yerima.”

    The witness als gave details about how a cash sum of $1m was found in Badeh’s residence at 6, Ogun River, Off Danube Crescent.

    “The property was purchased by the defendants with the funds we are investigating.

    “We found in the course of searching the premises $1m which was believed to be part of the alleged funds we are investigating.

    He also said $900,000, allegedly part of the diverted NAF’s funds, was deposited in Badeh’s accounts with the First Bank between 2012 and 2013.

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

    At a point, the prosecuting lawyer, Jacobs sought the court’s permission to play a video recording of how the EFCC allegedly recovered $1m a property said to be owned  Badeh in Abuja.

    When the court granted his request, Jacobs said he would bring another witness through whom he would play the video recording.

    During cross-examination by Badeh’s lawyer, Lasun Sanusi (SAN), the witness admitted that he (Madaki) did not personally participate in the purchase of the properties under investigation.

    On how funds allegedly diverted from NAF’s account were changed to dollars and eventually ended up in Badeh’s hand, he said the his team got to know about it during investigation.

    Earlier, in a ruling, Justice Okon Abang admitted as exhibits title documents of a N650m Abuja property  sold by Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State to buyers from who Badeh allegedly bought the property, suing a proxy.

    Justice Abang admitted the documents as exhibits after dismissing Badeh’s objection to their admission.

    Badeh and his firm, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 10-count charge of money laundering, in which they were accused of fraudulently removing about N3.97bn from the account of the Nigerian Air Force.

    They are also accused of using the money to buy and develop landed properties in Abuja for Badeh and two sons between January and December 2013.

    The documents admitted by the court’s ruling yesterday include the deeds of assignment between Fayose and Tony O. Ezekiel dated December 12, 2009, and the Certificate of Occupancy bearing the governor’s name.

    Other documents admitted as exhibits included a letter dated March 4, 2016 with attachment sent by the Lands Department of the Federal Capital Territory Administration in response to EFCC’s request; a reply dated May 5, 2016 by the Abuja Geographic Information; letter by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice.

    The prosecution’s 4th witness, Mustapha Yerima, who testified on May 23, 2016,  Mustapha told the court  how a plot of land in Abuja worth N650m and which was originally owned by Fayose was purchased by Badeh for the construction of a shopping mall at a cost of N1.2bn.

    Yerima, a contractor and Managing Director of Life Builders Technology Limited, Said the shopping mall is located along Amino Kano Crescent, in Abuja.

    He said Badeh eventually acquired the land from the third buyer.

    Yerima said he reached a bargain with Badeh to build the mall for N1.2bn.

    He said that a former Director of Finance and Account of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Aliyu Yishau (retd), who had earlier tes‎tified as the first prosecution witness (PW1), was the middle man between him and Badeh.

    The trial resumes on November 1.

  • Alleged fraud: Absence of prosecution counsel stalls Badeh’s trial

    Alleged fraud: Absence of prosecution counsel stalls Badeh’s trial

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, has adjourned the case of the former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, until Oct. 23 for continuation of trial.

    Justice Okon Abang adjourned the matter following the absence of the lead prosecuting counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) in court on Wednesday.

    Mr A.O. Atolagbe, a member of the prosecuting team, had told the court that Jacobs could not be in court because he was indisposed.

    He asked for a date within the court’s vacation period.

    But all the defence counsel objected to the application, but rather asked that the matter be heard in the new legal year, after the court’s vacation.

    Justice Abang in a short ruling adjourned the matter until Oct. 23 for continuation of trial.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the court had on July 4, adjourned the matter until July 26.

    The case was adjourned for arguments for and against the admissibility of documents the prosecution sought to tender in evidence.

    Jacobs had attempted to tender documents that a prosecution witness made reference to in the course of his testimony, but the defence raised objections.

    Mr Akin Olujimi (SAN), counsel to Badeh, said that some of the documents sought to be tendered were photocopies and not certified.

    NAN also reports that Badeh is standing trial for allegedly abusing his office by diverting N3.97 billion for his personal use.

    The diverted money was meant for arms purchase to tackle insurgency by the Boko Haram sect in the North-East.

  • Court adjourns Badeh’s trial till July 4

    Court adjourns Badeh’s trial till July 4

    The trial of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, was stalled on Monday, due to the ill health of the 19th prosecution witness.

    Justice Okon Abang adjourned the matter until July 4 for continuation of trial.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Badeh is standing trial for allegedly abusing his office by diverting N3.97 billion.

    The diverted money was meant for arms purchase in the face of worsening destructions by Boko Haram terrorists.

    At the resumed hearing, the Prosecuting Counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told court that he had to compel the witness to attend court but that the witness could not testify, due to ill health.

    “I practically forced the witness to be here today but I will not like the witness to testify in this state of mind,” Jacobs said.

    But, in spite of the presence of the witness in court, Jacobs prayed for an adjournment to enable the witness get better so that he could give his testimony in good health.

  • Why I am yet to visit my hometown – Badeh

    Why I am yet to visit my hometown – Badeh

    A former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd), said on Monday he is yet to visit his hometown in Vimtim, Mubi North local government area of Adamawa State, because he has no house to stay.

    The ex-CDS stated this in Yola at a Public Forum organized by Adamawa State Government to mark this year’s Democracy Day.

    Badeh, who lauded the transformation of Yola town by Governor Jubrila Bindow’s administration, said he was unable to visit Mubi to see the much talked about transformation in the city because his house has been destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents.

    “I was not even able to go to Mubi because I have nowhere to stay, everything I have had been destroyed,” Badeh said.

    While commending governor Bindow for his achievements in transforming the state within the past two years, the ex-CDs criticized Adamawa leaders for not doing much for the state.

    He observed that Adamawa leaders were most of the time engaged in power tussle instead of working for the state.

    NAN

     

  • Witness’s health stalls Badeh’s trial over alleged N3.97bn fraud

    The ongoing trial of former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, was on Wednesday stalled due to the ill health of the prosecution’s witness.

    At the resumed hearing, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) told the Federal High Court, Abuja, that the next witness the prosecution intended to call was sick.

    Jacobs prayed the court for an adjournment to enable the witness recover; the defence did not oppose the application.
    Justice Okon Abang adjourned the matter until June 19 to June 22 for continuation of trial.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Badeh is standing trial over alleged abuse of office by diverting N3.97billion meant for arms purchase.

     

  • We found $1m in Badeh’s wardrobe — witness

    We found $1m in Badeh’s wardrobe — witness

    A Prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of ex- Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh on Tuesday told the Federal High Court, Abuja that his team recovered one million dollar cash from Badeh’s house.

    Mr Goji Mohammed, the 15th witness to testify in Badeh’s trial, said he was part of the EFCC team, led by Mr Isyaku Sharu, that conducted the search in Badeh’s house in Asokoro, Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ex-Chief of Defence Staff is standing trial on money laundering offence he allegedly committed while serving as Chief of Air Staff.

    The witness also said the team recovered some bank documents, land documents, tax documents and few other instruments.

    Mohammed further said the commission received intelligence report on another property located at No. 6 Ogun River Street Maitama, which was  found to be Badeh’s property.

    He said they  accessed the building through the balcony by climbing, adding that they invited the security man of the neigbouring house to witness the search.

    “When we climbed in, we were in the living area upstairs so we used the stairs and went to the living area downstairs and started our search from there.

    “ When we got to the biggest room in the house, we saw a wardrobe, on opening it, we saw a bag and on opening it contained foreign currency.

    “We saw 16 bundles of 50 US dollars notes and two sealed bundles containing 100,000 US dollars which we estimated to amount one million US dollars.

    “On further counting the money in our office we discovered it was exactly one million dollars,’’ he said.

    He said they also found a red box which he could not precisely remember what was inside, adding that they also found two way bills of furniture supplied to the building.

    When the prosecution sought to tender the search warrant, the red box and the way bill as evidence, the move was objected to by the defence team.

    Mr Lasun Sanusi (SAN), counsel for the defendant objected to the admissibility of the items, saying they were purportedly obtained from an illegal search.

    Sanusi cited Section 115 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, which states that the occupant of a place searched or a relation shall be at the house and see the items seized.

    He said no provisions of law permitted state security agents to conduct search by looking for strangers on the street to witness it.

    Sanusi said the law gave the owner of the property the impetus to nominate a representative to witness such search if he or she could not be present.

    “My Lord, the witness had earlier confirmed that when they were to conduct search on the defendant’s house at Asokoro, they took him along to witness the search, why was this other one different.

    “It is on record that the defendant was still in detention when the purported search was done in his house at Maitama which is a clear violation of the law.

    “My Lord, we are not against the court admitting the search warrant as evidence but we vehemently oppose to the admissibility of the other items,’’ he said.

    On his part, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), argued that Section 149 and 150 of ACJA which deals with house search warrant permitted the presence of two witnesses.

    “This permission covers the person to whom the warrant is addressed and a neighbour within the neighbourhood the property is located,’’ he said.

    According to him, the provision allows the person to whom warrant is addressed to look for a witness in the neighbourhood.

    He, therefore, argued that no provision of the law compelled the property owner to be present before a search warrant can be executed.

    Justice Okon Abang, however, adjourned the matter till Feb. 22 for continuation.(NAN)

  • EFCC witness admits constructing houses, mosque, churches for Badeh

    EFCC witness admits constructing houses, mosque, churches for Badeh

    The 13th prosecution witness, Joseph Okpetu, told a Federal High Court on Friday that he renovated houses, built churches and mosque for former Chief of Defence Staff case, Alex Badeh.

    Okpetu, in his resumed testimony before Justice Okon Abang, said he constructed Badeh’s Yola mansions worth N150 million between 2008 and 2012.

    He said that he was contracted to renovate Badeh’s house, destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents in Vimtim village in the Mubi Local Government Area of Adamawa and was paid N50 million.

    “I also built a Mosque, renovated three churches and a civic centre meant for skills acquisition and was paid N100 million in three instalments by Air Commodore Yishau.

    Okpetu also said his company started dealing with the Nigerian Air Force far back in 2010, and had completed contracts in Kano, Kaduna, Yola, Markurdi and Abuja for the government.

    He stressed that out of the N50 million meant for the renovation, he was made to build a house for an officer-in-charge of the Joint Task Force.

    “I used about N14 million and N15 million on the building of the officer house in Mubi on Badeh’s directive.

    “There was no award of contract from either the Army or the Navy for the construction of the house of the Officer-in-Charge,’’ he said.

    When asked if he knew the 2nd defendant, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, he said “I don’t know Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, but I was paid N30 million from its account in 2015

    “We used the money for clearing of the perimeters in Badeh’s farm and imported materials then planted equipment at Akanciye in Nasarawa State.

    “During the tenure of Badeh, I constructed the dining hall of Air Force Comprehensive School, supplied generator and also built in Kano 18 by two, non-commissioned officers’ quarters.

    “We drilled borehole also in Makurdi Air Force Base,” Okpetu added.

    He further said that the share structure of one of his company Vim Plast Nigeria Limited are three million Naira to Alex Badeh (Jnr), three million Naira to Kamtufa Badeh and four million Naira to himself (Joseph Okpetu).

    He added that it was later changed in 2015 to six million Naira to Joseph Okpetu, three million to Kamtufa Badeh, N500,000 to Victoria Okpetu, and N500,000 also to Architect Dan Williams.

    He said Kamtufa constructed a house in Kubwa, Abuja, adding that his father gave him the house as a contribution to the company.

    Okpetu, who was cross examined by Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), defence counsel, said he was detained and released by EFCC without spending a night.

    He also admitted that he was not psychologically stable while writing the statements in the absence of his lawyer.

    The witness added that he wrote and signed all statements he made on eight occasions when he was in the custody of the EFCC.

    The statements were tendered and admitted in evidence by Justice Abang as exhibit T89-T96, respectively.

    Abang also adjourned the matter till January 25 and January 26 for a continuation of cross-examination.

    The EFCC is prosecuting Badeh alongside a firm, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, on a 10-count charge of money laundering bordering on an alleged fraudulent removal of about N3.97 billion from the Nigerian Air Force’s account.

    The anti-graft agency accused Badeh of using the funds to buy and develop landed assets in Abuja for himself and two sons between January and December 2013.

  • Badeh: Court adjourns trial to January 12

    Badeh: Court adjourns trial to January 12

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, has adjourned the case of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, till January 12.

    The judge, Justice Okon Abang, adjourned the matter when the prosecution presented the 13th witness, Joseph Okpetu, on Tuesday.

    The Prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), led Okpetu, a contractor, in his evidence-in-chief.

    Okpetu told the court that he knew Badeh in 2003 when he did the renovation in Zone D Apo, Abuja, and also in 2008 when he did a construction for Nigeria Airforce in Kaduna.

    He said when the defendant was appointed as the Chief of Air Staff in 2012, he was not in the country but when he returned, he went to his house and there he met with Yishau the director of finance.

    He said after some months, Yishau called him and handed him a building plan to be constructed for Badeh in Yola and was given N100 million, which he refused before it was increased to N150 million.

    “The construction in Yola was for three bedroom duplex, with a guest room and a boy’s quarters.

    “The construction was completed in 2014, I don’t know if the house was occupied, but I told Yusau that we completed it, that is when he paid me the balance of the contract after completion,” he said.

    When asked if he knew anything about the renovation Badeh’s house in the village, he said yes.

    “I got a call by an unknown person and was asked if I was the one that built the house in the village for Badeh, I said yes, the person then said how much will it cost to renovate the house.

    “I told him when it was built it was around N15 million to N19 million then, so, I told him it will cost N50 million and I was given the money.

    “I also did some work on his farm with part of the N50 million, that is the access road to the farm, we use the money to buy plants and equipment,” Okpetu added.

    He further said that the total amount spent on the farm was about seven million naira and he refunded N20 million to Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) as balance he had after deducting administrative charges of his company and other expenses.

  • Badeh’s agent instructed me to claim Abuja property – Witness

    Badeh’s agent instructed me to claim Abuja property – Witness

    A prosecution witness in the trial of former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, insisted on Tuesday that an agent of the ex-CDS instructed him to claim ownership of a multi-million Abuja property which his company, Ryte Builders constructed for the retired military chief.

    The witness, Mustapha Yerima, spoke while testifying before the Federal High Court, Abuja in the trial of Badeh and a company, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, for allegedly diverting about N1.4 billion belonging to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) between January and December 2013.

    Yerima, who concluded his testimony  as fourth prosecution witness on Tuesday, said Air Commodore Salisu Abdullahi Yushau (rtd), a former Account Director of NAF, who earlier testified in the trial as the first prosecution witness) invited him to the Defence House, after his (Yushau’s) retirement to coordinate the handover of documents and discuss construction work on the property.

    “In my evidence-in-chief, I testified that PW1 (Yushau) called a meeting after he had retired from the Nigerian Air Force. The meeting held at the Defence House and we discussed progress of work in the plaza. Barr. Timothy Muje and Barr. Umar were in attendance.

    “I had met Barr. Umar once or twice before that meeting But there was not much familiarity between us. It was after this that Barr. Muje called and asked that we both meet somewhere at Wuse II. This was the same day the EFCC invited me to their office.

    “Barr. Muje handed some documents to me when we met. But he failed to give me the Power of Attorney, and Deed of Assignment between Ryte Builders and the other company, which I did not know its name.

    “I asked Barr. Muje about the Power of Attorney and Deed of Assignment. At the time I asked him for those documents, he did not give them to me, because the whole idea was for me to go and claim the property as instructed,” he said.