N9.7bn fraud: How Dikko converted N558.2m monthly to personal use by Witness

A Prosecution Witness in the ongoing trial of former Chief of
Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Umar Dikko, yesterday told
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja
how the defendant was converting N558.2million monthly into
personal use. Dikko is standing trial for offences bordering on
money laundering and procurement fraud to the tune of
N9.7billion.

The witness, Hammadama Bello, an investigator with the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, led in evidence by
prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, gave insight into the
activities of the team that investigated the former AVM. On the
fourth charge preferred against Dikko by the EFCC, Bello noted that
a case of alleged money laundering was established against the
defendant following the results of investigations into properties
linked to the former Chief of Air Staff.

Furthermore, on the circumstances surrounding the purchase of a
property at No. 14, Audu Bako Way, GRA, Kano State, Bello stated
that although Dikko had told the EFCC that he purchased the
property through Yushau for N130million – paying in tranches of
N90million and N40million from his personal savings –,
investigations revealed that the property was actually bought for
N250million from a relocating Nigerien, with payment made directly
from the NAF Camp Finance account.

This revelation, Bello said, was confirmed by the then NAF
Director of Finance and Accounts, Air Commodore Yushau (PW1). On
the circumstances surrounding the purchase of yet another property
in Kaduna, Bello said, “Although the defendant (Dikko) claimed he
bought the property for N35million, investigations revealed that
the property was originally a guest house for Air Force which had
been sold to one AVM Lex. Upon questioning, AVM Lex confirmed that
he had been approached by Yushau, who told him that the buyer
preferred to stay anonymous.

Eighty-five Million naira (N85 Million) was paid to AVM Lex for
the property, and another N75million paid for renovation of the
same.” According to Bello: “Dikko claimed that he withdrew money
from his account to pay (all respective) owners from his savings
but he failed to provide evidence of this. He, however, stated that
Yushau was aware of all the transactions and Yushau confirmed this
to be true.”

Bello further stated that investigations had revealed that the
former Chief of Air Staff came from a humble background, rising
from the position of a teacher, then a library assistant before
becoming a serving officer and then the Chief of Air Staff.

“He (Dikko) was not a business man while in service and, by
consequence, would have had to be Chief of Air Staff at his last
grade level for 250 years to be able to afford the properties
linked to him. Investigations revealed that during his tenure, he
received N558,200,000million on a monthly basis which he converted
into dollars. “Yushau was also offered N120 million on a monthly
basis but he refused, stating that his conscience could not allow
him take the money,” Bello stated.