How Badeh diverted over N558m from salaries of Nigerian Airforce personnel for private use – Witness tells court

A prosecuting witness, Air Commodore Abdullahi Ishau on Wednesday told a Federal High Court that former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh used over N558,200,000 funds from salaries of the Nigerian Air force personnel for his private use.
Ishau was a retired Director of Finance and Accounting of the Nigerian Air force between October 2010 to December 2013.
Led in evidence by the prosecution , Ishau informed the Federal High Court that Badeh diverted the sum of 558,200,000 of the Nigerian Air force for his personal use.

Ishau said” The Air force receives over N4bn as emoluments for payment of salaries and allowances, though NAF wage bill a month is just about N2bn.
“What is remaining is usually about N1.6bn and N1.7bn, out of which, the sum of N558,200,000 was usually taken to Badeh’s official residence at the Niger barracks in Abuja.”
The witness stated that the N558,200,000 was under the “control of Badeh which he usually give approval for it to be exchanged into US dollars and taken to his official residence.”

“Badeh passes the instruction to me, I pass to the accounting officer who goes and change the money into dollars.

“When the money is changed and brought to me I in turn take it to him at his official residence.”
Ishau noted that as a military officer, he couldn’t have asked a superior for acknowledgement of such money when handed over.
“Badeh never gives instruction for the conversion of the money in a written form. It’s always in an oral form.”
Trial continues…