Former Chief of Air Force Mohammed Dikko Umar has disclosed his travel allowance as the source of the N9.7 billion assets being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Mr Umar made his statement on Wednesday while fielding questions from the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

“I have served this country for 36 years and in those 36 years, I served in the presidential fleet for seven years,” Mr Umar said, “Most of my savings are from during the period that I was on the presidential fleet. “Most of our trips were external trips outside the country,” the air chief said.

Mr Umar had been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on charges bordering on money laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption, to the tune of N9.7 billion.

Mr Umar was first arraigned in January 2017 on a seven-count charge of money laundering and procurement fraud to totalling N4.8 billion, before the presiding judge dismissed six out of the seven counts in a ruling on Mr Umar’s no-case submission in February.

The EFCC in the original seven-count charge had accused him of diverting over N4.8 billion from the Nigerian Air Force’s account ”within 24 months” and using the funds to buy personal property in choice areas.

The matter has been adjourned to March 1, 2022 by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba for the prosecution and defence counsel to adopt their final written addresses.

NwaNimo1:
Travel allowance?

....these people are sick!

vedaxcool:
Until death sentence and expropriation of property as restitution is done for looting, criminals will loot government money and claim it is allowance. The audacity of the thieving elites to inflict the most odious forms of looting while making senseless defense of such crime is mind boggling!

habsydiamond:
This man is a big thief... 7billlions of naira only ur traveling allowance.. Oga fear God nao... A whole state annual budget Na him only u call ur own traveling allowance... May God punish u and other corrupt leaders like u.. Rubbish!!! E dey do me like make I Sama am with something like this

rexwalters:
He said he served the country for 36 years? He will walk free, EFCC chasing shadows as usual.

rexwalters:
How old were you 40 years ago when he joined the air force, how much is your Father’s pension?

vedaxcool:


I don't quite agree, serving for 36 years does not equate billions. Unless he is being misquoted saving allowances cannot add up to that ridiculous amount!

vedaxcool:
Until death sentence and expropriation of property as restitution is done for looting, criminals will loot government money and claim it is allowance. The audacity of the thieving elites to inflict the most odious forms of looting while making senseless defense of such crime is mind boggling!

rexwalters:
How old were you 40 years ago when he joined the air force, how much is your Father’s pension?

FarahAideed:


This relationship you have with Buhari is also Corruption

Ovamboland:


The estacode for govt officials is $300 daily and let's say by some twist in the presidential fleet they pay $1000 daily.
Even if he travels everyday if the year which is not possible that means he will get $365,000
Traveling everyday for 5 years completely impossible, he will make $1.8m which when exchanged to naira in the last 5 years average exchange rate can't be more than 800m naira if he doesn't spend a Kobo on personal needs, hotel bills and food when he traveled everyday for 5 years

Verdict: his claim is a big fat lie.