Alex Badeh: Airforce cashier says ex CDS ordered him to convert N7.8b to dollars

Abu said he converted N558.2m to dollars every month, and handed it to Badeh.

A cashier at the Nigerian Air Force headquarters, Emmanuel Abu, has revealed that the former Chief of Defence Staff, Retired Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh asked him to convert a total of N7.8b to dollars.

Abu said this at the ongoing trial of the ex CDS at  Federal High Court, Abuja.

The cashier said he converted N558.2m to dollars every month, and handed it to Badeh.

Punch reports that Abu said "The left over in the personnel and emolument account are transferred to five other accounts after paying salaries, because the balance of the salaries are meant for other purposes, and the personnel and emolument account is just for payment of salaries.

“After distributing the money into five accounts, the funds are used to augment the NAF overheads expenditure. We use them to pay estacode, non-regular allowances, training and operations, also purchase of aviation fuel.

“For the expenditure for the fund, we receive approvals from the headquarters of NAF, usually approved by the Chief of Air Staff, however, in November 2012, when the new Camp Finance Officer resumed, he informed me verbally that there was a standing instruction for the sum of N558,200,000 to be set aside monthly for headquarters, NAF training and operational purposes.

“He also informed me that the amount is to be converted to US dollars, except there is any other instruction to the contrary.

“I complied with the instruction and I converted the amount monthly, from November 2012 to December 2013, within the 14 months, a total of N7.8b plus was set aside, out of this, within the 14 months, I received, instruction to transfer a total sum of N410m to HAFCO Nigeria Limited and N875m plus to Right Builders Technologies.”

Badeh is facing trial for the misappropriation of  N1.1 billion meant for the Nigeria Airforce and also for his involvement in the $2.1 billion arms deal scandal.

Justice Okon Abang granted him bail on March 10, 2016.