The investigation, according to the Federal Ministry of Finance, became imperative following revelations in the course of the trial of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.), at the Federal High Court, Abuja, that the sum of N558.2m was allegedly diverted monthly from the Nigeria Air Force account into private pockets.
It said in a statement by the Director of Information in the ministry, Salisu Dambatta, that the directive for the investigation, which was given by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, would be carried out by the Continuous Audit Team of the Federal Government.
The Continuous Audit Team, it stated, had been charged with the responsibility of scrutinising the wages of the three services, which have yet to be included on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, to ensure that all possible loopholes that could lead to leakages were blocked.
The statement reads in part, “The exercise will be conducted pending the biometric capturing and migrating the payroll of the three services to the IPPIS in line with the policy of the Federal Government to clean up the payroll of all public sector employees.
“The Continuous Audit Process was one of the initiatives of the Minister approved by President Muhammadu Buhari as part of the ongoing reforms in the public finance management system of the Federal Government, which he emphasised in his 2016 budget speech.”
The statement said the Director of Special Projects in the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Mohammed Dikwa, would head the Continuous Audit Team and report its findings for appropriate action by the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, a Compliance Officer with Stanbic IBTC Bank, Babatunde Adenekan, narrated to a Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday how N263.4m was diverted by officials of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency between October and December 2014.
Adenekan claimed that the N263.4m was paid in four tranches into the bank account of a contractor, Delosa Limited, after which it was transferred in several tranches into the bank accounts of some officials of NAMA.
The banker appeared on Thursday as the first prosecution witness before Justice Babs Kuewumi of a Federal High Court in Lagos, where the Managing Director of NAMA, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for an alleged fraud of N2.8bn.
Abdusalam is facing trial alongside seven other officials of NAMA and two companies –Randville Investment Limited and Multeng Travels and Tours Limited.
The other accused persons are Adegorite Olumuyiwa, Agbolade Segun, Clara Aliche, Joy Adegorite, Bola Akinribido, Sesebor Abiodun and one Nnamdi Udoh, said to still be at large.
The EFCC alleged that Abdusalam and his co-defendants defrauded NAMA to the tune of N2.8bn between August 2013 and January 2016.
They were accused of inducing NAMA to deliver part of the money in several tranches to three companies – Delosa Ltd, Air Sea Delivery Ltd and Sea Schedules Systems Ltd – under the pretence that the money was the cost of clearing some consignments belonging to NAMA.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
It is also said to be contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012, and were also liable to being punished under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
But upon their arraignment on April 12, 2016, all the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the 21 counts pressed against them.
Adenekan was the first witness to be called by the EFCC to prove its allegations.
Led in evidence on Thursday by the EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, Adenekan said, “On October 16, 2014, N38.8m came into Delosa’s account. That same day, N9m in four places were transferred into Randville Investment Limited account. That same day, N2.3m was also paid into Randville account.
“On November 11, 2014, N98.2m came into Delosa’s account. On that day, N9m in three places were transferred to Randville. Another N3m was transferred to Randville the same day, while N7.8m was transferred to Multeng and Tours Limited.
“On December 3, 2014, N88.9m came in. The same day, N9m in four places were transferred to Randville and another N2.5m was transferred to Randville.
“On December 7, 2014, N37.5m came into Delosa’s account from the Central Bank of Nigeria. On the 18th, N10m in three places were transferred to Randville Investment Limited and later another N7m on the same day.”
Adenekan identified the 3rd defendant, Agbolade Segun, and his wife, Susan, as the signatory to the 10 fixed deposit accounts operated by Randville Investment Limited.
Justice Kuewumi adjourned till May 30, 2016 for continuation of trial.
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