Court adjourns trial of ex-Air Chief, Amosu, two others until March 6

A Federal High Court in Lagos State on Wednesday adjourned the trial of former Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu, a retired Air Marshal and two others, over alleged N21.4 billion fraud until March 6.

The case was adjourned until March 6 and March 7 for the continuation of the trial as the court, presided over by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke did not sit.

Amosu was re-arraigned on November 13, 2018, alongside Jacob Adigun, a retired Air Marshall and Olugbenga Gbadebo, a retired Air Commodore on 13 counts, bordering on the alleged offences.

The three were first arraigned in June 2016 alongside some companies before Justice Mohammed Idris, who has been elevated to the Court of Appeal.

They were consequently re-arraigned before Aneke, who is now the presiding judge over the case.

On their first arraignment before Idris, they had pleaded not guilty to the charges, and on their re-arraignment before Aneke, they also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Aneke had allowed them to continue with the earlier bail granted by Idris.

In the charge, the EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired to convert N21. 4 billion, being the property of the Nigeria Air Force, noting that they ought to have known that the money was part of proceeds of a criminal breach of trust.

The anti-graft agency also alleged that the defendants diverted the money, using several companies.

The EFCC said that the defendants committed the offences on March 5, 2014.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the offences contravene Sections 15 and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.