Fairy tale like stories abounds of treasury or finance officers of the army who came out of the war strikingly rich. For the past 12 years, the Nigerian Army has been engaged in the war against Boko, the insurgent that have killed thousands and rendered most parts of Northeast Nigeria prostrate socially and economy in its bid to create an Islamic Caliphate out of the area.
Many Nigerians are ready to swear that but for the fact that top brass of Nigerian military are feeding fat from the war economy spurned by insurgency, Boko Haram and its affiliate, the Islamic State of West Africa would have become history.
True to that believe, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has since 2015 arraigned top military chiefs, including a former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh in court for various action of financial maleficence.
The publication of list of assets valued at about N10 billion seized from the estate of Brigadier General Aminu Maude who died in Abuja on Friday, November 8, 2019 after spending about 18 months in Dubai some days ago has again reinforce suspicion that Nigerian military Generals may not be too keen to end the insurgency because they are feeding fat from it.
Justice N.E. Maha of the Federal High Court had on Monday February 14, ordered the final forfeiture of 24 properties held by fronts and proxies to Aminu Maude who the EFCC failed to name, but simply referred to as a ‘top military officer; in a statement signed by Wilson Uwujaren, its spokesperson on the seizure.
EFCC had in May 2020 secured the forfeiture of the properties on interim basis.
The court had ordered the publication of notices in national newspapers, inviting persons with interest in the properties to show cause why they should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. And with no such interest shown by any entity, Justice Maha on Monday, February 14, 2022, ordered the final forfeiture of the properties to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In all, EFCC 24 properties scattered across Kano, Kaduna, Borno and Cross River States, comprise land, shopping complex, gas station and fuel stations cumulatively valued at N10, 935,000,000.00 from the late Brigadier General.
Some of the the property were controlled by proxies including and companies such as Atlasfield Integrated Services Nigeria Limited, Marhaba Events Place, Aflac Plastics and Atlasfield Gas Plant Limited. The forfeited property include fuel stations, event centers, plazas, block industries, truck assembly plant, polythene production factory and table water factory.
Some of the property include undeveloped plot located at Rake, Adjacent to Dara Orthopedic Hospital, Kano valued at N300 million, 117 hectares of land located at Adiabo, Oduapani L,G covered by Certificate of Occupancy No. OD/23/2011 dated 21/2/ 2011 in Calabar, Cross River State, valued at N386 million, truck assembly at Ring Road, adjacent to AA Affa Filling Station, Kano, valued at N206 million and Marhaba Event Centre, Guda Abdulahi Road Farm Centre, Kano valued at N250 million.
Ironically Aminu Maude a 1976 graduate of Nigeria Military School was a member of a 13-man panel set up by the National Security Adviser in 2015 on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate procurement of hardware and munitions in the Armed Forces from 2007.
The Investigative Committee headed by AVM J.O.N. Ode (rtd.) was established ‘in keeping with President Buhari’s determination to stamp out corruption and irregularities in Nigeria’s public service’ Femi Adesina, spokesperson for President Buhari had said in a statement.
The committee was asked to investigate allegations of non-adherence to correct equipment procurement procedures and the exclusion of relevant logistics branches from arms procurement under past administrations, which, very often resulted in the acquisition of sub-standard and unserviceable equipment,” Adesina added.
The panel had in the course of its job uncovered a $15bn fraud in arms procurement and submitted to reports. Based on the report, President had Buhari ordered the EFCC to investigate 18 serving and retired military officers, mainly from the Air Force.
Even before it was disbanded in 2017, allegations of corruption had started trailing the panel with allegations that some individuals and companies were paying bribe to members to avoid being indicted. In 2016, operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) raided the Kaduna residence of Air Commodore Umar Mohammed, a member of the panel.
The raid was sequel to allegations that he might have fronted for and received large sums of money from certain individuals and companies on behalf of members of the committee.
The DSS allegedly discovered over $1million cash and 18 luxury cars including a Rolls Royce, Ferrari and Bugatti, among others, and also raided the suspect’s Kaduna residence during the raid.
The retired Air Chief is now facing a three counts charge of alleged money laundering, illegal possession of firearms and classified documents without authority. He was accused of receiving 1.3 million dollars cash from one Worldwide Consortium PTY Ltd in 2016, through his company Easyjet Airlines in violation of the Money Laundering Act 2011. The trial is ongoing.
Aside this, Brig-Gen Aminu Maude was kicked out of the Army as the commander of the Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration (NASFA) in September 2005 after he was indicted by a court martial on charges on circulation of false information on Col. N.E. Ekwale and Col. P.A. Toun.
Unhappy with the verdict, Brig-Gen. Aminu-Kano approached the Court of Appeal, which set aside the decisions of the court martial. He however challenged his dismissal from the Army up to the Supreme Court level.
And in a judgment delivered on February 29, 2010, the Supreme Court held that according to Section 171 of the Armed Forces Act. Cap. A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990, the Army was wrong in its decision to sack Aminu Kano. Consequently, Aminu – Kano was reinstated and thereafter retired from the Army with all his entitlements paid.
Unfortunately, Amnu -Kano is dead. Maybe he would have also contested attempt to take over his valued assets by the EFCC up to Supreme Court.
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