Abdurrahman Bello Dambazau - News Proof

News:

Politics

Abdurrahman Bello Dambazau


Showing posts with label Abdurrahman Bello Dambazau. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abdurrahman Bello Dambazau. Show all posts

EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worths Billions In Abuja, See Photos

EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worths Billions In Abuja, See Photos

EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worth Billions In Abuja, See Photos
An investigation by SaharaReporters into the assets of Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Lieutenant-General Abdulrahman Dambazau (ret.) has discovered that he and his wife own properties in the US whose total worth, in millions of dollars, raise questions about the source of the minister’s funds. Two real estate consultants told our correspondents that the properties traced to Mr. Dambazau have an estimated value in excess of three million dollars in the US alone.

Our investigators found that the minister’s real estate holdings include an impressive and expensive and huge seven-bedroom house he purchased in Winchester, Massachusetts, a few miles outside of Boston. The property cost $1.99 million. Mr. Dambazau’s massive 6,500 square feet home also boasts six bathrooms, an eat-in kitchen, an enclosed backyard, a front porch, central air conditioning, a spa bathtub in the master bedroom, a fireplace, and hardwood floors throughout. Descriptions of the property also state that the “master bedroom has a cathedral ceiling, double walk-in closet, linen closet, a spa-like tub, and a separate shower with three shower heads, and double sinks.”

Our investigation into Mr. Dambazau’s inexplicable real estate assets comes on the heels of public outrage that the minister’s name was removed from the list of serving, and retired military officers recommended for further investigation by a presidential panel that investigated arms and equipment procurement fraud in the Nigerian armed forces between 2007 and 2015.

An earlier report by SaharaReporters disclosed that Mr. Dambazau and other top military officers were in a panic as the investigation panel prepared its latest interim report. Several military and political sources in Abuja revealed that Mr. Dambazau, who served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) between 2008 and 2010, worked furiously behind the scenes to suppress aspects of the probe panel’s report that implicated him.

In response to public outrage, Nigeria’s Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed, issued a statement denying that the report was influenced by figures outside the investigation panel.

SaharaReporters obtained documents stating that Mr. Dambazau purchased the Winchester property shortly after it was built in 2013. According to the deed of ownership he bought the property on August 29th, 2013 from the building firm for one million nine hundred and ninety thousand dollars ($1,990,000).

In addition to the deed of ownership, SaharaReporters also obtained the Declaration of Homestead form that clearly states, “We, Hadiza B. Dambazau and Abdulrahman Dambazau, are the owner(s) of the premises located at 109 Church Street Winchester, MA 01890, by virtue of a deed.”

Our investigation also revealed that Mr. Dambazau sold the property to new buyers for $2 million on May 28th, 2015—exactly one day before President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in in Abuja. The property sale document includes Mr. Dambazau’s passport number A06275929 and is notarized by Amy Kornbluth, the Vice Consul of the US Embassy in Abuja.

In addition to the home in Winchester, Mr. Dambazau’s wife, Hadiza Dambazau, recently purchased a condominium in the city of Boston. The property is part of the Millennium Avery Condominium complex. Documents obtained by our investigators show that Mrs. Dambazau has had the property in her name since its purchase on May 19th, 2016. The deed states that the condominium was purchased for $892,000 and is Unit #410 located at 580 Washington Street, Boston MA, 02111.

Mr. Dambazau also owns other assets and properties in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. The assets are hard to explain, given the relative modesty of the salary earned by Nigerian military officers. The minister’s properties include Hajjar Plaza, an impressive building along Ahmadu Bello Way that contains numerous offices, and Lebrex Plaza, located in Utako, along Ajose Adeogun Street, which also has many shops and businesses. SaharaReporters also found that the Interior Minister owns a huge real estate at 15 Dodoma Street, in Wuse Zone 6 in Abuja.

Our investigation discovered that Mr. Dambazau often used Mohammed Dauda as a front to purchase several of his real estate assets in Nigeria. Several sources told our correspondent that Mr. Dauda is the chairman of Labrex International Ltd.

Our correspondent asked President Buhari’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, to respond to Mr. Dambazau’s extensive acquisition of real estate assets, but he merely stated, “I have no information on this issue,” adding that he could not comment further. Garba Shehu, who also serves as Mr. Buhari’s media and publicity aide, pointed our correspondent to the president’s statement “issued two days ago that he would not cover up or hide corrupt conduct by those in his government.” Mr. Shehu stated that nothing had changed since Mr. Buhari issued that release.

We spoke to Dambazau, but he hung up on our reporters.

EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worth Billions In Abuja, See Photos

EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worth Billions In Abuja, See Photos

EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worth Billions In Abuja, See Photos

EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worth Billions In Abuja, See Photos

EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worth Billions In Abuja, See Photos





EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worth Billions In Abuja, See Photos
An investigation by SaharaReporters into the assets of Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Lieutenant-General Abdulrahman Dambazau (ret.) has discovered that he and his wife own properties in the US whose total worth, in millions of dollars, raise questions about the source of the minister’s funds. Two real estate consultants told our correspondents that the properties traced to Mr. Dambazau have an estimated value in excess of three million dollars in the US alone.

Our investigators found that the minister’s real estate holdings include an impressive and expensive and huge seven-bedroom house he purchased in Winchester, Massachusetts, a few miles outside of Boston. The property cost $1.99 million. Mr. Dambazau’s massive 6,500 square feet home also boasts six bathrooms, an eat-in kitchen, an enclosed backyard, a front porch, central air conditioning, a spa bathtub in the master bedroom, a fireplace, and hardwood floors throughout. Descriptions of the property also state that the “master bedroom has a cathedral ceiling, double walk-in closet, linen closet, a spa-like tub, and a separate shower with three shower heads, and double sinks.”

Our investigation into Mr. Dambazau’s inexplicable real estate assets comes on the heels of public outrage that the minister’s name was removed from the list of serving, and retired military officers recommended for further investigation by a presidential panel that investigated arms and equipment procurement fraud in the Nigerian armed forces between 2007 and 2015.

An earlier report by SaharaReporters disclosed that Mr. Dambazau and other top military officers were in a panic as the investigation panel prepared its latest interim report. Several military and political sources in Abuja revealed that Mr. Dambazau, who served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) between 2008 and 2010, worked furiously behind the scenes to suppress aspects of the probe panel’s report that implicated him.

In response to public outrage, Nigeria’s Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed, issued a statement denying that the report was influenced by figures outside the investigation panel.

SaharaReporters obtained documents stating that Mr. Dambazau purchased the Winchester property shortly after it was built in 2013. According to the deed of ownership he bought the property on August 29th, 2013 from the building firm for one million nine hundred and ninety thousand dollars ($1,990,000).

In addition to the deed of ownership, SaharaReporters also obtained the Declaration of Homestead form that clearly states, “We, Hadiza B. Dambazau and Abdulrahman Dambazau, are the owner(s) of the premises located at 109 Church Street Winchester, MA 01890, by virtue of a deed.”

Our investigation also revealed that Mr. Dambazau sold the property to new buyers for $2 million on May 28th, 2015—exactly one day before President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in in Abuja. The property sale document includes Mr. Dambazau’s passport number A06275929 and is notarized by Amy Kornbluth, the Vice Consul of the US Embassy in Abuja.

In addition to the home in Winchester, Mr. Dambazau’s wife, Hadiza Dambazau, recently purchased a condominium in the city of Boston. The property is part of the Millennium Avery Condominium complex. Documents obtained by our investigators show that Mrs. Dambazau has had the property in her name since its purchase on May 19th, 2016. The deed states that the condominium was purchased for $892,000 and is Unit #410 located at 580 Washington Street, Boston MA, 02111.

Mr. Dambazau also owns other assets and properties in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. The assets are hard to explain, given the relative modesty of the salary earned by Nigerian military officers. The minister’s properties include Hajjar Plaza, an impressive building along Ahmadu Bello Way that contains numerous offices, and Lebrex Plaza, located in Utako, along Ajose Adeogun Street, which also has many shops and businesses. SaharaReporters also found that the Interior Minister owns a huge real estate at 15 Dodoma Street, in Wuse Zone 6 in Abuja.

Our investigation discovered that Mr. Dambazau often used Mohammed Dauda as a front to purchase several of his real estate assets in Nigeria. Several sources told our correspondent that Mr. Dauda is the chairman of Labrex International Ltd.

Our correspondent asked President Buhari’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, to respond to Mr. Dambazau’s extensive acquisition of real estate assets, but he merely stated, “I have no information on this issue,” adding that he could not comment further. Garba Shehu, who also serves as Mr. Buhari’s media and publicity aide, pointed our correspondent to the president’s statement “issued two days ago that he would not cover up or hide corrupt conduct by those in his government.” Mr. Shehu stated that nothing had changed since Mr. Buhari issued that release.

We spoke to Dambazau, but he hung up on our reporters.

EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worth Billions In Abuja, See Photos

EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worth Billions In Abuja, See Photos

EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worth Billions In Abuja, See Photos

EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worth Billions In Abuja, See Photos

EXPOSED, Buhari's Minister, Dambazau Questionable $3m US Estate, Another Worth Billions In Abuja, See Photos





Buhari's Minister, Dambazau, 2 Other Army Chiefs INDICTED In Fresh $930.5m Arms Scam Probe

Buhari's Minister, Dambazau, 2 Other Army Chiefs INDICTED In Fresh $930.5m Arms Scam Probe

Abdurrahman Bello Dambazau
A serving Minister of Interior, Abdurrahman Bello Dambazau is among some former army chiefs indicted in the newest report to be submitted to the president, Premium Times has reported.

As reported by our source, those indicted in the report of Presidential Committee on Defence Equipment Procurement in the Nigerian Armed Forces with Dambazau are; the immediate past chief of army staff, Kenneth Minimah, and his predecessor, Azubuike Ihejirika. The probe report, which is described as “damning” and “explosive”, according to Premium Times, has stirred tension and frantic scheming among former army chiefs and other top officers of the Nigerian Army.

A reliable source close to the committee, which was set up by Mr. Buhari to probe the procurement of arms, ammunition and equipment in the military from 2007 to 2015, told this newspaper that several top retired army officers were indicted and some were already scheming to suppress the content of the report.

Mr. Dambazau was particularly mentioned as trying to suppress the content of the report. He was appointed the chief of army staff by late President Umaru Yar’Adua, and served between 2008 and 2010.

“The committee members are putting things together and will present its findings to the president in the next week or so,” our source said.

Our source explained that the committee uncovered a whole lot of things including the outright stealing of money meant for equipment for the army, inflation of contract, diversion of money for soldiers’ welfare, money for the rehabilitation of barracks and military facilities and many other corrupt practices.

In March 2016, the committee, predominantly made up of retired military officers, had summoned 292 retired and serving top army officers including Messrs. Dambazau, Ihejirika and Minimah.

Last August, Mr. Buhari directed the national security adviser, Mohammed Mongonu, to set up a 13-member investigative committee on the procurement of hardware and munitions in the Armed Forces from 2007.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, stated that the investigative committee’s mandate is to identify irregularities and make recommendations for streamlining the procurement process in the armed forces.

The establishment of the investigative committee was in keeping with President Buhari’s determination to stamp out corruption and irregularities in Nigeria’s public service, Mr. Adesina said.

“It comes against the background of the myriad of challenges that the Nigerian Armed Forces have faced in the course of ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast, including the apparent deficit in military platforms with its attendant negative effects of troops’ morale.

“The committee will specifically investigate allegations of non-adherence to correct equipment procurement procedures and the exclusion of relevant logistics branches from arms procurement under past administrations, which, very often resulted in the acquisition of sub-standard and unserviceable equipment,” the statement said.

In January, Mr. Buhari ordered the arrest of the former chief of air force, Adesola Amosu, and other top officers of the Nigerian Air Force after an interim report of an inquiry into the procurement of equipment uncovered widespread diversion of funds and fraud.

Those indicted by the report were former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, former chief of defence staff, Alex Badeh, and another former chief of air staff, Mohammed Umar. All of them and other top officers are facing corruption charges in court.

“The procurement processes were arbitrarily carried out and generally characterized by irregularities and fraud,” the panel said. “In many cases, the procured items failed to meet the purposes they were procured for, especially the counter insurgency efforts in the North East.”

“A major procurement activity undertaken by ONSA for NAF was that concerning the contracts awarded to Societe D’ Equipment Internationaux (SEI) Nig Ltd.

“Between January 2014 and February 2015, NAF awarded 10 contracts totalling Nine Hundred and Thirty Million, Five Hundred Thousand, Six Hundred and Ninety US Dollars ($930,500,690.00) to SEI Nig Ltd.

“Letters of award and End User Certificates for all the contracts issued by NAF and ONSA respectively did not reflect the contract sums. Rather, these were only found in the vendor’s invoices, all dated 19 March 2015,” it said.

The panel said some of the award letters contained misleading delivery dates suggesting fraudulent intent in the award process. The observed discrepancies are in clear contravention of extant procurement regulations.

“The SEI contracts included procurement of two used Mi-24V Helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at the cost of One Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Nine Hundred and Forty Four Thousand US Dollars ($136,944,000.00).

“However, it was confirmed that the helicopters were excessively priced and not operationally air worthy at the time of delivery. A brand new unit of such helicopters goes for about Thirty Million US Dollars ($30m),” it noted.

Furthermore, the helicopters were delivered without rotor blades and upgrade accessories.

“Additionally, the helicopters were undergoing upgrade while being deployed for operation in the North East without proper documentation. It was further established that as at date, only one of the helicopters is in service while the other crashed and claimed the lives of two NAF personnel.

“The Committee established that ONSA also funded the procurement of 4 used Alpha-Jets for the NAF at the cost of Seven Million, One Hundred and Eighty Thousand US Dollars ($7,180,000.00). However, it was confirmed that only 2 of the Alpha-Jet aircraft were ferried to Nigeria after cannibalization of engines from NAF fleet.

“This is contrary to the written assertion of the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal AN Amosu to the former NSA that all the 4 procured Alpha-Jets aircraft were delivered to the NAF.

“The non-militarisation of the Alpha-Jets made them unsuitable for deployment to the North East and they are currently deployed only for training at NAF Kainji.

“Furthermore, the procurement of the Alpha-Jets was contrary to the recommendation of the assessment team. The Committee found that the conduct of Air Marshal Amosu was deliberately misleading and unpatriotic,” the panel said.

DON'T MISS: #FayoseGate: How He Bought N1.3b Houses Within 6 Months In Office, 4 Cohorts Volunteer To 'Confess'

PREMIUM TIMES


Abdurrahman Bello Dambazau
A serving Minister of Interior, Abdurrahman Bello Dambazau is among some former army chiefs indicted in the newest report to be submitted to the president, Premium Times has reported.

As reported by our source, those indicted in the report of Presidential Committee on Defence Equipment Procurement in the Nigerian Armed Forces with Dambazau are; the immediate past chief of army staff, Kenneth Minimah, and his predecessor, Azubuike Ihejirika. The probe report, which is described as “damning” and “explosive”, according to Premium Times, has stirred tension and frantic scheming among former army chiefs and other top officers of the Nigerian Army.

A reliable source close to the committee, which was set up by Mr. Buhari to probe the procurement of arms, ammunition and equipment in the military from 2007 to 2015, told this newspaper that several top retired army officers were indicted and some were already scheming to suppress the content of the report.

Mr. Dambazau was particularly mentioned as trying to suppress the content of the report. He was appointed the chief of army staff by late President Umaru Yar’Adua, and served between 2008 and 2010.

“The committee members are putting things together and will present its findings to the president in the next week or so,” our source said.

Our source explained that the committee uncovered a whole lot of things including the outright stealing of money meant for equipment for the army, inflation of contract, diversion of money for soldiers’ welfare, money for the rehabilitation of barracks and military facilities and many other corrupt practices.

In March 2016, the committee, predominantly made up of retired military officers, had summoned 292 retired and serving top army officers including Messrs. Dambazau, Ihejirika and Minimah.

Last August, Mr. Buhari directed the national security adviser, Mohammed Mongonu, to set up a 13-member investigative committee on the procurement of hardware and munitions in the Armed Forces from 2007.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, stated that the investigative committee’s mandate is to identify irregularities and make recommendations for streamlining the procurement process in the armed forces.

The establishment of the investigative committee was in keeping with President Buhari’s determination to stamp out corruption and irregularities in Nigeria’s public service, Mr. Adesina said.

“It comes against the background of the myriad of challenges that the Nigerian Armed Forces have faced in the course of ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast, including the apparent deficit in military platforms with its attendant negative effects of troops’ morale.

“The committee will specifically investigate allegations of non-adherence to correct equipment procurement procedures and the exclusion of relevant logistics branches from arms procurement under past administrations, which, very often resulted in the acquisition of sub-standard and unserviceable equipment,” the statement said.

In January, Mr. Buhari ordered the arrest of the former chief of air force, Adesola Amosu, and other top officers of the Nigerian Air Force after an interim report of an inquiry into the procurement of equipment uncovered widespread diversion of funds and fraud.

Those indicted by the report were former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, former chief of defence staff, Alex Badeh, and another former chief of air staff, Mohammed Umar. All of them and other top officers are facing corruption charges in court.

“The procurement processes were arbitrarily carried out and generally characterized by irregularities and fraud,” the panel said. “In many cases, the procured items failed to meet the purposes they were procured for, especially the counter insurgency efforts in the North East.”

“A major procurement activity undertaken by ONSA for NAF was that concerning the contracts awarded to Societe D’ Equipment Internationaux (SEI) Nig Ltd.

“Between January 2014 and February 2015, NAF awarded 10 contracts totalling Nine Hundred and Thirty Million, Five Hundred Thousand, Six Hundred and Ninety US Dollars ($930,500,690.00) to SEI Nig Ltd.

“Letters of award and End User Certificates for all the contracts issued by NAF and ONSA respectively did not reflect the contract sums. Rather, these were only found in the vendor’s invoices, all dated 19 March 2015,” it said.

The panel said some of the award letters contained misleading delivery dates suggesting fraudulent intent in the award process. The observed discrepancies are in clear contravention of extant procurement regulations.

“The SEI contracts included procurement of two used Mi-24V Helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at the cost of One Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Nine Hundred and Forty Four Thousand US Dollars ($136,944,000.00).

“However, it was confirmed that the helicopters were excessively priced and not operationally air worthy at the time of delivery. A brand new unit of such helicopters goes for about Thirty Million US Dollars ($30m),” it noted.

Furthermore, the helicopters were delivered without rotor blades and upgrade accessories.

“Additionally, the helicopters were undergoing upgrade while being deployed for operation in the North East without proper documentation. It was further established that as at date, only one of the helicopters is in service while the other crashed and claimed the lives of two NAF personnel.

“The Committee established that ONSA also funded the procurement of 4 used Alpha-Jets for the NAF at the cost of Seven Million, One Hundred and Eighty Thousand US Dollars ($7,180,000.00). However, it was confirmed that only 2 of the Alpha-Jet aircraft were ferried to Nigeria after cannibalization of engines from NAF fleet.

“This is contrary to the written assertion of the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal AN Amosu to the former NSA that all the 4 procured Alpha-Jets aircraft were delivered to the NAF.

“The non-militarisation of the Alpha-Jets made them unsuitable for deployment to the North East and they are currently deployed only for training at NAF Kainji.

“Furthermore, the procurement of the Alpha-Jets was contrary to the recommendation of the assessment team. The Committee found that the conduct of Air Marshal Amosu was deliberately misleading and unpatriotic,” the panel said.

DON'T MISS: #FayoseGate: How He Bought N1.3b Houses Within 6 Months In Office, 4 Cohorts Volunteer To 'Confess'

PREMIUM TIMES



Trending

randomposts

Like Us

fb/https://www.facebook.com/newsproof
google.com, pub-6536761625640326, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 https://www.newsproofs.com/google.com, pub-6536761625640326, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0