“Badeh diverted N558.2m monthly salaries payment for his personal use” – Force Finance Director

Former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (retd), within one year, siphoned over N3.9billion from the accounts of the Force, ex-Director of Finance and Accounts at the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Air Commodore Salisu Abdullahi, retd, yesterday, disclosed.

Abdullahi, who testified before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, disclosed that Badeh, who is facing a 10-count criminal charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, monthly diverted N558.2 million, meant for the payment of salaries of NAF officials, for his personal use.

Testifying as the first prosecution witness, PW-1, Abdullahi told the court that Badeh instructed that the money must always be converted to its dollar equivalent and brought to him at his official residence at Niger Barracks, in Abuja.

He said the former Defence chief never signed any document to confirm his monthly receipt of the fund. “I enlisted in the military as a member of the 29 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy on January 3, 1981 and I was commissioned into the officers corps of the Nigerian Air Force on January 3, 1984.

“I was the Director of Finance & Accounts of the Nigerian Air Force from 2010 to December 2013, before I was retired from service. “I was the Adviser to the Chief of Air Staff on financial matters and at the same time, liaised with the Ministry of Finance & Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

I directed the funds appropriated to the Nigerian Air Force through the annual appropriation. “I also directed the disbursement of such funds to Air Force formations as authorised by the Chief of Air Staff, supervised and ensured the audit of accounts of NAF by officers of the   Accountant-General and the Auditor-General of the Federation. “I carried out any other job assigned to me by the Chief of Air Staff who is the chief accounting officer of the NAF.

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