LIST: Like the Nigerian Army, Air Force prepares to purge itself of ‘political officers’
– The Nigerian Armed Forces are purging themselves of senior officers who are facing corruption trials or seen to be highly political
– The Nigerian Army was the first to take the lead, showing 37 officers the way out
– The Nigerian Airforce is set to tow the same line
If the report by New Telegraph is anything to go by, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will soon sack some of its senior officers over their indictment in the $2.1 billion arms procurement scandal and other corruption related offences that has come to light since the advent of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
According to the report, NAF has already compiled the list of the senior officers to be shown the way out in a few days time.
Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar
The report is coming barely few days after the Nigerian Army carried out a similar exercise, dismissing 37 senior officers for what the Army authorities describe as their alleged partisan role in the 2015 general elections, offences in defence contracts and Ekiti elections.
Highly placed military sources in NAF revealed that the retirement of the senior Air Force officers will signal the full commencement of their trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which has since been investigating some of them.
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See the list of some of the officers said to be on the firing line below:
Air Vice Marshals
A.M. Mamu
O.T. Oguntoyinbo
T. Omenyi, J.B. Adigun
R.A. Ojuawo
J.A. Kayode-Beckley
Air Commodores
A.O. Ogunjobi
G.M.D. Gwani
S.O. Makinde
One of the sources said: ”The process on their exit from the Nigerian Air Force has been concluded. What is left is formal announcement of their disengagement.
”There is no way the indicted officers can stay in the force when they are being tried for corruption cases in court.
”Some of them have been arrested by the EFCC and kept in custody. Some of them have been detained at a military formation. So, there is no way they can be in the service.
”There are other officers whose names were not in the list of indicted officers made public by the audit panel, but they have been found culpable in corruption related offences.
”From feelers, there are about 40 officers to be retired including eight AVMs. I’m sure they will all be retired this month.”
The report also stated that the affected senior officers were indicted in the report of the presidential audit of the arms procurement between 2007 and 2015.
Officers indicted by the 13-man panel
Maj-Gen. ER Chioba (Rtd)
AVM I.A. Balogun (Rtd)
AVM A.G. Tsakr (Rtd)
AVM A.G. Idowu (Rtd).
Three former Chiefs of Air Staff
Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd)
Air Marshal MD Umar (Rtd)
Air Marshal Adesola Amosu.
Meanwhile, Officers who may be convicted, upon prosecution, will go to jail and lose their rank.
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The indicted officers, who are still in service, were said to have been mandated to sign attendance register twice daily at the Air Force headquarters in Abuja, to indicate that they still resume normal duties on all working days.
The EFCC is investigating the officers over 10 NAF contracts totalling $930,500,690 awarded to Societe D’ Equipments Internationaux (SEI) Nig Ltd. between January 2014 and February 2015.
In another development, some of the officers affected the recent Army retirement exercise, said the military authorities acted as per sectional and political considerations.
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