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.

source : http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/206036-why-buhari-ordered-arrest-of-close-ally-and-arms-panel-member-umar.html

lobatab

the guy must be PDP ( in wailers voice)

mmmmm lobatan, like I can believe this an ordinary mister,mmmmm

good, let's check Kyari and Buratai's dossiers sir.

Genea:
mmmmm lobatan, like I can believe this an ordinary mister,mmmmm

just as u supported agarawu23 in d last mr nairaland contest, i'd be grateful if u support falconey as mr nairaland this year please.


Thanks so much genea. I look foward to your vote on Monday.

Cutehector:
just as u supported agarawu23 in d last mr nairaland contest, i'd be grateful if u support falconey as mr nairaland this year please.


Thanks so much genea. I look foward to your vote on Monday.

no probz, though I'm very busy this tym but I will do my best.. Just let me know wen it starts...

Genea:
no probz, though I'm very busy this tym but I will do my best.. Just let me know wen it starts...

alryt. U may be offline when the voting starts, so I wish to plead wit u if u wouldn't mind sendin me ur whatsap number so the notification can get directly to u even when ur offline so u wouldn't miss it. Please I promise not to misuse such favor.