Hussein A Umar, a private
legal practitioner who testified as PW3 while being led in evidence by counsel
to EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court that he assisted Badeh and the
erstwhile director of finance and accounts at the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Air
Commodore Salisu Abdullahi Yushau in the purchase of two properties situated at
No 6, Ogun River Street, Off Danube Street, Maitama, and No 14, Adzope
Crescent, Off Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja for the sums of N1.1billion and
N360million respectively.
The witness, Hussein A Umar
has revealed to Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in
Maitama, Abuja how he assisted former Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Air Chief Marshal
Alex S Badeh in the purchase of two properties in choice areas of Abuja.
According to Badeh,
“sometime in 2012, Yushau called me to his house to tell me that his boss
(Badeh) was interested in acquiring a befitting retirement home in Maitama. He
asked me to source for the befitting accommodation which I did. When I got the
property at 6, Ogun River Street, Off Danube street, Maitama, we went for
inspection and two days after, he (Badeh) met me at the said site at 8:30pm in
a Toyota Tundra which Yushau drove.
“This was the first time I
had ever met Badeh. He said I should go on with the process of legal searches
on the property. After the search, Yushau and Badeh visited the property again,
but this time with a lady who was introduced to me as the wife of Badeh; his
son named Kam and his daughter, slim and smallish (in frame). They carried out
joint inspections and they all were happy with the property. Yushau then gave
me the go-ahead to negotiate with the owner of the property.
“The owner and I negotiated
and agreed on an amount, N1.1billion. I reported back to Yushau, who said he
would get through to his boss.”
The PW3 further stated
that, within a week necessary arrangements were made for the payment and Yushau
called to tell him that the money was ready in US dollars.
“I collected $6.2million
USD from Yushau. I gave it to Bureau de Change operators who transferred the
Naira equivalent of N1.1 billion to the account provided by the owner of the
property. We concluded, and Yushau gave me the name to be used in preparing the
deeds – Iyalikam Ventures”, Umar stated.
Umar further added that
Badeh, through Yushau, in appreciation of what he did offered him $100,000 USD,
the equivalent of N15m.
Regarding the purchase of
No 14, Adzope Crescent, Off Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, PW3, Umar also
gave details of how the purchase was made.
According to him, “sometime
in 2013, Yushau called to tell me that he wanted me to meet one Honourable
Bature. He said there was a property that they had already negotiated, and that
he wanted me to see Bature, get the details of the property and prepare the
deeds of transfer and other documentation as he (Yushau) was travelling. I was
given the name- Iyalikam as the purchaser.
“He left the sum of $2
million with me; the equivalent of N360 million and he instructed that I pay
Honourable Bature as soon as the documents were signed, which I did.
“At the time when Yushau
was retiring, I met the attorney of the first defendant (Badeh), Barrister
Timothy at Yushau’s house, in the presence of one Engineer Mustapha. Yushau
said his boss had instructed that I hand over all the documents in my
possession of No 14, Adzope Crescent, Off Kumasi Crescent. I handed all the
documents which had been signed by Honourable Bature (that still needed to be
countersigned by the purchaser, Iyalikam), as well as the keys to the
properties over to Barrister Timothy.
“I didn’t see or hear from
Barrister Timothy until February/March this year when he requested to see me
urgently. He said that an ongoing investigation involved Badeh and that he
wanted to know if I could claim 6, Ogun River Street, Off Danube street,
Maitama as my own since the transaction had not been perfected at Abuja
Geographical Information System, AGIS. I told him that it was impossible. He
dropped the phone and since then I have not heard from him.”
Umar further told the court
that Alex (jnr) also called him sometime between February/March, 2016, pleaded
with him to assist in claiming the Ogun River property; a request he said was
turned down.
After cross examination by
counsel to the first defendant, Akin Olujimi, SAN, Justice Abang adjourned the
matter to May 19, 2016 for further cross examination and continuation of trial.
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