Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adeshola Amosu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been quizzing Nigeria’s former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu in connection with the $2.1billion arms deals probe.

The former air force chief was detained by the EFCC on Tuesday following revelations that he also played in key role in the diversion of funds meant for purchase of arms to battle Islamist sect, Boko Haram.

According to The Nation, Amosun is expected to shed light on more than 10 contracts valued at $930,500,960 were awarded by the Nigerian Air Force between January 2014 and February 2015 and why NAF bought used Mi-24V helicopters instead of Mi-35M series.”

The other issues he was confronted with are:

• Payment of N4,402,687,569.41 for unexecuted contracts;
• Procurement of two used Mi-24V helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at $136,944,000.00;
• Purchase of Four used Alpha-Jets for the NAF at US$7,180,000.00 funded by ONSA;
• Cannibalisation of engines from NAF fleet to justify procurement of jets; and
• Excessive pricing of 36D6 Low Level Air Defence Radar at $33m instead of $6m per one.
• Delivery of radars without vital component of Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) that distinguishes between own and adversary aircraft,
• transfer of $2m to Mono Marine Corporation Nigeria Limited, owned by some Air Force officers and N15bn spent on the maintenance of Alpha-Jets, C-130H aircraft and Mi-24V/35P helicopters.
•  N2.5billion contracts awarded to Syrius Technologies ( an Ukrainian company) not registered in Nigeria
•  Why out of seven contracts worth N599,118,000.00 awarded  to Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON);only  two were delivered.

 Apart from Amosu, the EFCC will also be interrogating  AVM A. M. Mamu (the Chief of Administration); AVM O.T.Oguntoyinbo (former Director of Production, Defence Headquarters); AVM R.A. Ojuawo (Air Officer Tactical Air Command, Makurdi; AVM J.B. Adigun (former Chief of Accounts and Budgeting in NAF); and AVM J.A. Kayode-Beckley(Director, Armament Research in Air Force Research and Development Centre); AVM T. Omenyi (MD, NAF Holdings), four top officers at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Air Cdre AO Ogunjobi; Air Cdre G.M.D. Gwani; Air Cdre S.O. Makinde; Air Cdre A.Y. Lassa and Col. N. Ashinze , who was the Special Military Assistant to Col. Dasuki (retd).

Former National Security adviser, Sambo Dasuki had insisted that Amosu confirmed the delivery of the four Alpha Jets and 12 helicopters.

“It is laughable for the panel to assume that four Alpha jets and 12 helicopters were undelivered. In a memo to the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA), referenced NAF/905/D/CAS of November 28, 2014, the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Adesola Amosu, acknowledged the receipt of the 4x Alpha jets attack aircraft and the helicopters”, Dasuki wrote in a letter to a separate  panel probing what has been termed #armsgate or #Dasukigate.