Former Chief of Air Staff Amosun Arraigned, Granted N500m Bail

[caption id="attachment_9626" align="alignnone" width="630"]Air Marshal Adesola Amosun Nunayon, Former Chief of Air Staff[/caption]

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday arraigned former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosun Nunayon before a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.

He was arraigned alongside a former Chief of Accounts and Budgeting at Nigeria Airforce, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun and a former Director of Finance and Budget, Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo over charges bordering on fraud, money laundering and stealing to the tune of N22.8 billion.

Also arraigned with them are their companies: Delfina Oil and Gas Limited, McAllan Oil and Gas Limited, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Limited, Trapezitrs Bureau De Change ((BDC), Fonds and Pricey Limited, Deegee Oil and Gas Limited, Timsegg Investment Limited, and Solomon Health Care Limited.

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The defendants allegedly used the companies to convert and conceal the money.

“The defendants, among other things, were accused of laundering 21 billion naira ($74 million, 67 million euros) from the Nigerian Air Force sometime in March 2014 in Lagos, and were using the companies to conceal the source,” the EFCC said in a statement.

The anti-graft agency also accused them of concealing “proceeds of crime” and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 17(a).

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. They were each granted a 500-million-naira bail each with two sureties in like sum by the Lagos court and told to hand over their passports.
The sureties shall be landed property owners within the jurisdiction of the court.

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Their trial will begin on July 8.

Meanwhile, The Nation reported same Wednesday that the former Chief of Air Staff, had returned N2.6 billion to the Federal Government.

His lawyer, Mr. Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), while urging the court to admit bail to his client on self-recognizance, informed the court that his client has refunded “colossal sums” to the federal government.

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