Witness tells court how former Chief of Air Staff, Alex Badeh, tried to conceal ownership of N1.8bn shopping mall

The trial of Alex Badeh, a former Chief of Air
Staff, continued Wednesday with the
nineteenth prosecution witness, Abubakar
Madaki, telling a Federal High Court, Abuja
that investigations into a number of
properties linked to him exposed how
several millions of naira was diverted from
Nigeria Air Force, NAF’s accounts for
personal enrichment, and properties
whose ownership he tried to
conceal.

Madaki, an operative of the EFCC,
while being led in evidence by the
prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN,
told Justice Okon Abang that investigations
were carried out on a number of
properties, linked to Badeh, including a
shopping mall, and particularly a property
located at 19, Kumasi Crescent, in Abuja.He
said:
“In the course of our investigation,
Kabiru Salawu, owner of Platinun
Universal Company told us that the
Certificate of Occupancy, C of O of No
19. Kumasi Crescent bearing the
name of his company, originally
belonged to Alex Badeh Jr, (son of
Badeh).
Badeh Jr, however, returned the original C
of O and the agreement to him, and
instructed him to lay claim to the
property. In the course of investigating the
property, we also discovered that Simi
Mohammed, a paymaster with NAF, paid
over N300 million in dollar equivalent to
Mustapha Yarima, managing director of
Ryte Builders Nigeria Limited.”
Yarima, according to Madaki, was paid the
money to begin construction of a shopping
mall, which was traced to Badeh. He
revealed that “an estimate of N950 million
to N1.2 billion for the construction of the
shopping complex was submitted by
Yarima. As work progressed, Yarima
regularly briefed Salisu Yishau (a former
NAF director, finance/account), who in turn
updated Badeh, and when the fund was
exhausted, Yishau invited him to meet
Mohammed who subsequently paid him
from the NAF account. Subsequently,
payment to Ryte Builders Nigeria Limited
resumed, and a total of N860 million was
received from the NAF, and as soon as the
money got finished work slowed down.”
He added that investigations showed that
Badeh “was not happy with the slow pace
of work, and summoned a meeting
between Yishau and Yarima, in his house. It
was at the meeting that Badeh told them
that henceforth, he was going to provide
fund through his son, Alex Badeh Jr,”
Madaki said.
He further testified that after the meeting
Yarima received the sum of N102 million
from Vetiva Capital Investment. According
to him, investigations then shifted to the
company and its owner was invited for
interrogation.
“Vetiva Capital Investment was represented
by Olawolu Mudashiru, son of late
Commodore Mudashiru, and he confirmed
payment by the company totaling N102
million authorized payment on behalf of
Badeh Jr,” he said, adding that Badeh Jr,
claimed that “Vetiva will have 70 per cent
interest in the proposed restaurant.”
Madaki further testified that Yarima claimed
that not long after he received N102 million
from Vetiva Capital Investment, for the
conclusion of the construction work, there
was a new development. Yarima said
Yishau called him that Badeh, had sent his
lawyer and given instruction that the
property which was in the name of Ryte
Builders Technologies Limited be
transferred to another name,” he said
According to him, one Timothy Mudi, a
lawyer to Badeh, “carried out the direction,
and took the document to Badeh.” He
further added that based on the new
information received during investigation
that one Umar Hussein, a lawyer, brought
some documents and handed them over to
Mudi in the presence of Yishau, he decided
to call Badeh Jr for questioning.

No Result