Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar will be arraigned on Wednesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The country’s premier anti-graft agency made this disclosure known on its official Facebook page on Tuesday.
“Former Chief of Air Staff M D Umar Dikko to be arraigned by the EFCC tomorrow, Wednesday, May 11, 2016, before Justice Binta Murtala Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja,” the commission said.
The Air Marshal, who was Nigeria’s Chief of Air Staff between 2010 to 2012, has been implicated in the ongoing probe of Defence spending during the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan.
It will be recalled on January 15, 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari had given the anti-graft agency the nod to beam its searchlight on the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh, former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar (2010 -2012) and the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu, for alleged fraudulent arms purchases for the Air Force between 2007 and 2015.
The EFCC will also exert the green light given by the president to investigate 16 other retired and serving military officers and 21 firms said to have been awarded the contracts.
A committee on the audit of defence equipment has confirmed that Nigeria spent about $2billion and another N29billion on NAF procurement alone during the period in question.
Malam Garba Shehu,Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to the President, gave the names of those to be investigated as:
(1) Air Chief Marshal A.S. Badeh (Rtd)
(2) Air Marshal M.D. Umar (Rtd)
(3) Air Marshal A.N. Amosu (Rtd)
(4) Maj-Gen. E.R. Chioba (Rtd), former Director General, Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON)
(5) AVM I.A. Balogun (Rtd)
(6) AVM A.G. Tsakr (Rtd)
(7) AVM A.G. Idowu (Rtd)
(8) AVM A.M. Mamu (NAF Chief of Administration)
(9) AVM O.T. Oguntoyinbo (former Director of Production, Defence Headquarters)
(10) AVM T. Omenyi (MD, NAF Holdings)
(11) AVM J.B. Adigun (former Chief of Accounts and Budgeting)
(12) AVM R.A. Ojuawo (Air Force Tactical Air Command, Makurdi)
(13) AVM J.A. Kayode-Beckley (Director, Armament Research in Air Force Research and Development Centre)
(12) Air Cdre S.A. Yushau (Rtd)
(13) Air Cdre A.O. Ogunjobi
(14) Air Cdre G.M.D. Gwani
(15) Air Cdre S.O. Makinde
(16) Air Cdre A.Y. Lassa
(16) Col N. Ashinze (Special Military Assistant to former NSA Sambo Dasuki)
(17) Lt Col. M.S. Dasuki (Rtd).