HOW WE TRACED BADEH’S PROPERTIES – EFCC

A prosecution witness has narrated how the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) discovered properties allegedly acquired by former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.

Badeh was arraigned on a 10-count charge of criminal breach of trust and money laundering of over N3bn alongside Iyalikam Nigeria Ltd, a company believed to be owned by him.

Nuhu Buhari, an investigator with the EFCC, yesterday stated that the anti-graft commission assigned him to lead the team investigating five properties linked to Badeh and the NAF arms procurement contracts under him.

Led in evidence by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Buhari listed the properties to include: 19 Kumasi Crescent, Wuse 2; No 6 Ogun River, Maitama, Abuja; No 2 Nelson Mandela Street, Asokoro; No 2 Oda Crescent off Addis Ababa Street, Wuse 2, and a shopping mall.

Buhari said when the team physically visited the properties and met Alex Badeh Jnr at No 19 Kumasi Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja; he denied ownership of the house and said he was a tenant.

He said a response to letters written to the FCDA for records of the listed properties, revealed that one Oluwatoyin Nike is the allottee of the said property and had sold it to one Mohammed Umar and Kair Sardau at the cost of N260m.

When contacted, Sardau admitted buying the property on behalf of Alex Badeh Jnr through Air Commodore S.A Yusha’u, then director of Finance of NAF.

Of the NAF shopping mall which was awarded Rytebuilders Ltd manager Mustapha Yerima, he said investigation established that the N1.2billion award came from the N558.2 billion usually set aside for the NAF chief.

Justice Okon Abang has adjourned the case to May 2 for hearing.