EFCC Witness Shares How Alex Badeh Stole Money to buy Abuja Properties

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Witness, Salisu Abdullahi, a retired air commodore and former director of finance of the Nigeria air force, on Wednesday said Alex Badeh, instructed him to buy houses for two of his sons in an highbrow area of Abuja, while he was chief of air staff.

Abdullahi, who is the prosecution witness in the trial of Badeh, told Justice Okon Abang of the federal high court, Abuja, that the former defence chief instructed him to look for choice property for his first son, Alex Badeh jr, because he wanted him to own a house.

The Air Commodore claimed that Badeh bought a house at the highbrow Wuse 2 at N260m for his first son, renovated it with N60m and furnished it with N90m.

He also said that when Badeh’s second son turned down a house worth N340m, a second house had to be bought for N330m.

“My chief also told me he wanted his second son, Kam, to own a house. The name of the owner of house is Isiaka Rabiu,” he narrated to the court.

“I told him the price of the house was about N340m. He directed me to pay. I paid the dollar equivalent of the money to Rabiu. The money was from the normal amount I take to my chief monthly.

“When Kam saw the house, he didn’t like it. When my chief saw it, he said we should look for another one.

“One evening, I was sitting in my house. One Honourable Bature called and requested me to see him. He was then living at Kumasi crescent at Wuse 2. When I saw him, he told me he wanted to sell his house. He was building another house somewhere.

“He requested me to find someone who can buy the house. I told my chief and he said he wouldn’t like Honourable Bature to know that he was the one buying.

“I told him we could use Barrister Useni Umar. I told Useni that my chief would like to buy a house, but he wouldn’t want the buyer to know he is the one buying.

“I took Useni to Honourable Bature as an agent. After two days, the barrister told me he had concluded negotiation with Bature and that he had agreed to sell the house for N330m.

“My chief directed that I should pay for the house. I took the equivalent of N330m in dollars, which was deducted from his (Badeh’s) own money, and effected the payment.

“I collected the title documents for the house and handed them over to my chief.”