In Nigeria, EFCC recovers N3181m from wife of Ex-Air Force Chief, Amosu

Air Marshal Adesola Amosu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered N381m from Mrs. OmolaraAmosu, wife of the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu.

EFCC sources told Punch that the money was recovered in three tranches: N180m, N101m and N100m.

Mrs Adesola Amosu

The money was traced from the account of the Nigeria Air Force to the bank accounts of a company in which Amosu’s wife is a director and a signatory.

“We recovered N381m from Amosu’s wife, Omolara. Initially, we recovered N180m from her account before another N101m and then N100m. These were monies transferred from Air Force accounts,” a source said.

“They (Air Force officers) sent the money to an account where their wives have interests or are signatories without doing anything.”

Another source told the newspaper that more properties belonging to the immediate past Chief of Accounts and Budgeting of NAF, Air Vice Marshal J.B. Adigun, had been seized.

“Adigun is still here with us. We recovered a quarry which he owns. In the quarry there were pieces of equipment worth about $600,000. They have all been impounded and investigations are ongoing.”

Two weeks ago, houses worth over N2bn in Ikoyi and Victoria Island allegedly belonging to Adigun were seized.

Amosu, Adigun and over nine air force officers are currently under investigation by the anti-graft agency for the procurement of equipment which was said not to be transparent.

Since his detention, Amosu had been quizzed over the procurement of two second-hand Mi-24V Helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at a cost of $136.9m.

The helicopters were alleged not to be operationally airworthy at the time of delivery while a brand new unit of such helicopters costs about $30m.

Amosu and some other officers would be charged to court as soon as the holding charge which the EFCC obtained in court to hold the officers for 30 days from January 28 elapses in a few days.