President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the arrest
of a key member of the panel investigating the
mismanagement of public funds meant for the
war against Boko Haram after receiving damning
reports that he was involved in alleged money
laundering and illegal possession of firearms,
reliable security and presidency sources have told
PREMIUM TIMES.
Despite being his close ally and loyalist, Mr. Buhari
okayed the arrest of Mohammed Umar, after
perusing reports alleging that the retired Air
Force officer ran a blackmailing and extortion
cartel, officials said.
Mr. Umar was arrested last week as operatives of
the State Security Service (SSS) raided his Abuja
home.
Those familiar with the matter said before moving
against the retired officer, the Director General of
the SSS, Lawal Daura, met with Mr. Buhari where
he tabled reports suggesting that the panel
member had been busy using the name of the
president and other top officials of the
administration to intimidate, extort and blackmail
individuals and businesses.
“The president became worried and jittery when
he was confronted with the way a man he trusted
had been behaving,” a presidency source said.
“So he ordered that he should be picked up while
the allegations against him are thoroughly
investigated.”
Security sources told this newspaper that
documents seized from Mr. Umar’s residence
during a raid on June 19 included classified
documents from the president’s office, details of
government transactions from the Central Bank of
Nigeria, and details of bank transactions
belonging to the Office of the National Security
Adviser.
A document containing details of disbursements
made to the Nigerian armed forces and security
agencies was also recovered during the raid.
Mr. Umar retired as an air commodore in the
Nigerian Air Force in January 2014. While in
service, he headed the Air Force’s Holding
Company as well as the Air Force Properties
Limited.
He retired into enormous wealth, officials involved
in the investigations said.
Currently, he has six companies, including a
private jet company with a fleet size of 10 aircraft,
officials said.
Security sources also said he is also one of Abuja’s
biggest property owners.
“Many top government functionaries live in his
houses in Abuja,” a security source said. “He also
has properties in Dubai and London.”

Ally or double agent?
Mr. Umar became a close ally of President Buhari
shortly after the 2015 elections.
Armed with a cache of information on Nigeria’s
security contracts during the immediate past
administration of Goodluck Jonathan, he soon
became a key figure in the president’s
investigative committee on arms procurement.
“He suggested most members of the panel,”
another presidential source told PREMIUM TIMES.
However, investigators said Mr. Umar’s swift rise
to relevance in President Buhari’s administration
was beginning to raise concerns regarding
whether the new administration failed to conduct
a thorough background check on him, or simply
ignored the man’s past.
Officials said Mr. Umar was one of the first military
officers to be arrested by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission just years after the
anti-graft agency was established.
He was detained for salary and procurement
fraud in the Air Force, but the matter was later
handed over to the military for trial, those familiar
with the matter said.
Our sources said Mr. Umar was compelled to
make refunds, and the matter was brushed aside
allowing the man to return to the force.
Multiple officials told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr.
Umar’s stupendous wealth has always
confounded several of his colleagues.
“As far back as 20 years ago, when his annual
salary couldn’t afford a car, Mr. Umar had a
private jet,” one source said.
Married to the daughter of a former Nigerian
petroleum minister, Rilwan Lukman, Mr. Umar ran
local and international businesses while he served
in the Nigerian Air Force, one source said.

Cash Only
According to court documents seen by PREMIUM
TIMES, Mr. Umar carried out his recent deals in
cash only.
Despite owning a private jet company and
multiple real estates across the world, the total
amount traced to his bank accounts was only
N165 million.
The total value of currencies evacuated from his
residence during the raid was at least N300
million.
Security officials believe he received the cash
payments – in breach of the money laundering
law.
Investigators are also trying to determine whether
the cash were proceeds of illicit deals and
influence peddling.
Those close to him told PREMIUM TIMES that part
of the cash taken from Mr. Umar’s home were
payments for services rendered by his private jet
company, Easy Jet Integrated Services Limited –
from two cargo flights from Nairobi to Houston
and Nairobi to Hong Kong.
Investigators said they are working to verify the
claims.
Other properties seized from the retired officer’s
home during the raid include 13 luxury cars –
One Range Rover, two Rolls Royce, two Bentleys,
one BMW 7-series, one Mercedes 5550, one Lexus
Sports, one Audi R8 and one Porsche Panamera
GTs.
As of Monday, Mr. Umar was still held at the State
Security Service detention centre in Abuja as
security officials continued with investigations
into the matter.
The presidency refused to comment for this story
saying it was within the scope of the National
Security Adviser (NSA).
The NSA could not be reached for comments. So
also is the SSS, which is investigating the matter.
The agency has had no media liaison since its
former spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar, was removed.

Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind. They continually set traps to catch people - Jer 5:26

DeKen:
Very soon 80% of people around him will get arrested.
There ain't no saints on the team, just a bunch of hypocrites and a few most valuable birds of golden eggs that helped with the finances that got him to power.

DaBullIT:
5% people , Why haven't you cried to high heavens that this is witch hunt ?

Buhari is incorruptible



E koshi lo , kee ya si yaba left

crixtex:


You fool no one... Buhari is a fraudulent crook
..

DaBullIT:



Yeah , More fraudulent than Jonathan and Fayose and co self

cckris:
Only the arrest of Amaechi may convince the world that Buhari is fighting corruption.

cckris:
Only the arrest of JONATHAN may convince the world that Buhari is fighting corruption.