The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised a no-nonsense team to interrogate a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd.), and 17 others, including 11 senior military officers.
Some of the officers say that they were not allowed to appear before the Special Investigative Committee (SIC) before being referred to the EFCC.
The list of military officers to be grilled includes
two former Chiefs of Air Staff, Air Marshals M.D. Umar and A.N. Amosu(rtd). Others to be probed are 22 companies traced to associates and relatives of some of the suspects.
Also to be probed are: 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 JA 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 A.O. 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 the ex-National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
Col. Ashinze is in the EFCC’s custody.
The anti-graft agency has quizzed Alex Badeh Jr., son of the former Chief of Defence Staff, in connection with the arms scandal.
A source said: “We are going ahead with the interrogation of some former and serving military officers as recommended. There is no going back on this.
“We have a team ready to interact with these officers and about 22 companies. But we will conduct the interrogation in batches.
“Very soon, we will invite these officers. We have a schedule of how we will conduct our findings.”