Former Air-Chief Amosu docked over alleged N22.8bn fraud

A former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu
(rtd) was yesterday arraigned before a Federal High
Court in Lagos over charges bordering on fraud, money
laundering and stealing to the tune of N22.8 billion.
The former Air-Chief was docked on 23-count charge
alongside two senior serving Air Force officers.

The two serving senior Air Force officers are Air Vice

Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun and Air Commodore

Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga.

Also arraigned with them are their companies: Delfina

Oil and Gas Limited, McAllan Oil and Gas Limited,

Hebron Housing and Properties Company Limited,

Trapezitrs Bureau De Change ((BDC), Fonds and Pricey

Limited, Deegee Oil and Gas Limited, Timsegg

Investment Limited, and Solomon Health Care Limited.

According to the Economic and Financial Crimes

Commission (EFCC), the accused persons committed

the offences between March 5, 2014, and May 4, 2015.

The anti-graft commission alleged that the officers

converted several billions of Naira belonging to the

Nigeria Air Force (NAF), to their personal use.

In one of the counts of the charge, the accused

persons were alleged to have converted the sum of

N21,467,634,707.43 billion, property of the Nigerian Air

Force, which sum was derived from stealing, to their

personal use.

In another count, they were alleged to have between

May 5, 2014 and 4 May 4, 2015 in Lagos, indirectly

converted the sum of N5, 291, 306, 950.28 Billion,

property of the Nigerian Air Force which sum they

reasonably ought to have known forms part of the

proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: stealing.

The accused persons, however pleaded not guilty when

the charge was read to them. Following their plea, the

prosecutor urged the court for accelerated hearing, and

also applied that the accused persons be remanded in

prison pending the determination of the charge.

But lawyers to the accused persons which include: Mr.

Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), Mr. Norris Quakers (SAN), and

A. Etuokwu, urged the court to discontinuance the

remand application made by the prosecutor against

their clients.

Ayorinde (SAN) who represented Amosu informed the

court that a bail application for his client has been filed

and same has been served on the prosecution.

Ayorinde informed the court that his client has

refunded a collosal amount.

He therefore urged the court to admit bail to his client

on self-recognizance, or on a very liberal terms.

Counsels to the other accused persons also made the

same submission that their clients should be admitted

to bail.

The presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, while

ruling on the submissions of the parties, granted the

accused persons bail in the sum of N500 million with

two sureties in the same like sum.

He adjourned the matter to July 8, 2016.