A star witness in the ongoing trial of former Chief of Air Staff (COAS), Air Vice Marshal Dikko Umar, has concluded his evidence-in-chief with a revelation that receipts were not issued by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in respect of the alleged N558, 200 million monthly upkeep for former Chief of Air Staff.
The witness, who is a former NAF’s Director, Finance and Accounts, Air Commodore Salisu Yusha’u (rtd) who was being cross-examined by counsel to AVM Dikko Umar, Ibrahim Bawa(SAN) said the payments made to Umar were not captured in NAF’s cash and votes books.
Yusha’u had told the court that Air Vice Marshal Dikko Umar had allegedly collected over N13.3 billion spread over two years for office maintenance from Nigerian Air Force treasury.
But under cross-examination, the witness who told Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court in Abuja that he personally handed the money to the retired Air Force boss, said no receipt was issued in respect of the transaction.
Before yesterday proceedings, Yusha’s had testified to the effect that NAF was receiving a budget of about N4 billion monthly, adding that, out of the amount, the actual figure used for payment of salary and allowances was between N2.3 to N2.4 billion, while the balance of about N1.6 billion was made, out of which the sum of N558, 200 million was usually set aside for the upkeep of the Chief of Air Force.
Testifying under cross-examination by the defence team led by Hassan Liman (SAN), the witness had told the court that after the payment of staff salaries from the monthly N4 billion, the ex-COAS, deployed the balance of N1 billion to training and “maintenance of NAF assets, fleets and other private projects which include barrack construction and renovation.
“Out of the N1 billion, funds were disbursed to heads of units and commands for operational cost.
“NAF hospitals in Kaduna, Kano, Jos and Makurdi were equipped with the money. A comprehensive NAF school in Kano was also constructed during Umar’s stay in office.
