By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Senior Correspondent
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned retired Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu Nunayon, two senior serving Air Force officers and eight companies before a Federal High Court, Lagos on 23 counts charge bordering on Fraud, money laundering, and stealing.
The two serving Air Force Officers arraigned alongside Amosu are: Air Vice Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun, Air Commodore Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga, while the companies are; 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.
The accused persons were alleged to have committed the offences between March 5, 2014, and May 4, 2015 by converting several billions of Naira belonging to the Nigeria Air Force (NAF), to their personal use.
In one of the counts on 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.
They were also alleged to have between May 5, 2014 and May 4, 2015 in Lagos, indirectly converted the sum of N5, 291, 306, 950.28 billion, property of the Nigerian Air Force which sum you reasonably ought to have known, forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: stealing.
Furthermore, Amosu, Adgun and Olugbenga, were alleged to have between July 17, and September 16, 2014, used the British Pounds Sterling equivalent of sum of N663, 443,291 million, removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force to purchase for themselves two properties situated at 50-52 Tenterden Grove, London (NW41TH) and 93B Shirehall Park, London NW4 2QU, United Kingdom.
The EFCC further alleged that Amosu and his co-accused had between March 3, 2014 and March 12, 2015, used the sum of N202, 920, 200 million, which they removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force, to purchase for themselves a property situated at 1, River Street, Wuse II Abuja.
Air Marshal Amosu and the two Air Force Officers were also alleged to have between March 6 and April 30, 2015, used the sum of N428, 139, 539 million, which they jointly removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force, to renovate and purchase medical equipment for their hospital, Solomon HealthCare Limited, which locates at 24, Adeniyi Jones Street, Ikeja Lagos.
Air Marshal Amosu and Air Vice Marshal Adigun were also alleged to have between January 8, and April 13, 2015, used the sum of N1,701,400,570 billion, removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force to purchase for themselves a property situate at Agobogba Street, Parkview, Ikoyi Lagos.
The offences according to the EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo Iseoluwa, are contrary to sections 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012, and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
Count one of the charge reads: “that you, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu Nunayon (Rtd), Air Vice Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun, Air Commodore Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga, 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, on or about the 5th day of March, 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence, to wit: Conversion of the sum of N21,467,634,707.43 (Twenty One Billion, Four Hundred and Sixty Seven Million, Six Hundred and Thirty Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Seven Naira, Forty Three Kobo), property of the Nigerian Air Force, which sum was derived from stealing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3), 17(a) of the same Act.
And count six reads; “that you, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu Nunayon (Rtd), Air Vice Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun, Air Commodore Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga, 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, between the 5th day of May, 2014 and 4th day of May,2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court indirectly converted the sum of N5, 291, 306, 950.28 (Five Billion, Two Hundred and Ninety One Million, Three Hundred and Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty Naira, Twenty Eight Kobo), property of the Nigerian Air Force which sum your reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
Count 16 reads; “that you, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu Nunayon (Rtd), Air Vice Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun, Air Commodore Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga, between the 17th day of July and 16th day of September,2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did use the pounds sterling equivalent of the sum of N663, 443,291 (Six Hundred and Sixty Three Million, Four Hundred and Forty Three Thousand, Two Hundred Ninety One Naira) removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force to purchase for yourselves two properties situate at No. 50-52 Tenterden Grove, London (NW4 1TH) and No. 93B ShireHall Park, London NW4 2QU, United Kingdom which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
And count 26 reads; “that you, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu Nunayon (Rtd), Air Vice Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun between the 6th day of March and 30th day of April,2015, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did use the sum of N428,139,539.00 (Four Hundred and Twenty Eight Million, One Hundred and Thirty Nine Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty Nine Naira) removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force to renovate and purchase medical equipment for your Solomon HealthCare Ltd situate at 24th Adeniyi Jones Street, Ikeja Lagos, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
After listening to the counts preferred against them, the accused persons pleaded not guilty. The prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, urged court for accelerated hearing, and also applied that the accused persons be remanded in prison pending the determination of the charge.
However, lawyers to the accused persons which include Mr. Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), Mr. Norris Quakers (SAN), and A. Etuokwu, urged the court to discountenance the remand application made by the prosecutor against their clients.
Ayorinde (SAN) who represented the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Amosu and Solomon Health Care Limited, informed the court that a bail application for his client has been filed and same has been served on the prosecution, and also informed the court that his client has refunded a colossal amount.
He therefore urged the court to admit bail to his client on self-recognizance, or on a very liberal terms.
In his submission, Mr. Quakers, who represented Air Vice Marshal Adigun, Delfina Oil and Gas Limited, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Limited, Trapezitrs Bureau De Change ((BDC), Fonds and Pricey Limited, who are second, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth accused persons, equally informed the court that he had filed bail applications for his clients, and such have been served on the prosecution.
Mr. Etuokwu who represented Air Commodore Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga, Timsegg Investment Limited, and Solomon Health Care Limited, who are third, ninth and tenth accused persons, also informed the court that he had filed his clients’ bail applications, and that he had served the prosecution same.
Both Quakers (SAN) and Etuokwu urged the court to admit bails to their clients in the most liberal terms.
Responding to the submissions of the accused persons’ counsels, EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, said in as much as he is not opposing the bail applications of the accused persons, told the court that he was only served of the applications yesterday and today.
But the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Idris while ruling on the submissions of both parties said; “in view that there is no counter-affidavit to the bail applications, the court is hereby admit bails to the accused persons in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in the same like sum.
“The sureties must be property owners within the jurisdiction of the court, and title documents of the properties must be submitted to the court’s Registrar, which must be verified by the EFCC.”
Justice Idris ordered that the sureties must sworn to affidavit of means which must be verified by the EFCC.
The judge also order all the accused persons to submit their international passports with the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR)
Before adjourning the accused persons’ trial till July 8, the trial judge ordered that Amosu and Olugbenga be remanded in Prisons’ custody, while the second accused, Adigun be remanded at EFCC’s custody, because of his state of health, pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
TheNiche gathered from Ayorinde (SAN), counsel to first accused and confirmed by the EFCC prosecutor Oyedepo that the accused persons have returned the sum of N4 billion to the Commission.