‘Ex-Naval chief Jibrin told wife N600m property was retirement gift’

An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told an FCT High Court in Maitama that wife of former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin (rtd) told the commission that her husband told her the N600 million Abuja property was a retirement gift.

Jibrin is standing trial alongside Rear Admiral Bala Mshelia (rtd), Rear Admiral Shehu Ahmadu (rtd) and Harbour Bay International Limited on a four-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and purchase of a property located at Plot 2717 Cadastral zone A06, Maitama, Abuja valued at N600 million from the account of Naval Engineering Services Limited (NESL) without provision.

The commission also alleged that the documentation for transfer of ownership of the property was done such that Harbour Bay, which investigation revealed was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission with Jibrin’s wife, Lami and son, Abdulkadir as directors, became the buyer.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, Nwoke Cyril, a deputy detective superintendent of the EFCC in his evidence in chief said during interrogation, Lami said she does not know anything about the property until January 2016 when her husband told her that “the property purchased for him by the Nigerian Navy as budgetary a retirement gift is having problem and that they decided that the property be handed over to the Navy.”

Cyril said Jibrin who accompanied his wife to the EFCC’s office was also interviewed on the same day; and that in the interview, the ex-naval chief informed the detectives that it was the third defendant (Rear Admiral Shehu Ahmadu) that purchased the property for him when he was CNS and handed over the documents of the house to him.

“He also told us that following our investigation and the call he received from the current CNS, he instructed his friend, Gen. Ishaya Bauka (rtd) of Bushi and Bushi law firm to prepare documents handing over the property back to the Navy in 2016,” the witness said.

The EFCC witness revealed that the commission equally interviewed the current CNS, Ibok Ekwe Ibas who took over from Jibrin in July 2015, in respect of the property.

“He told us that following the letter he got from us, he contacted the first defendant (Jibrin) in respect of the property of which Jibrin told him it was a safe house. He said Jibrin subsequently handed over the property back to the Navy without him (Ibas) prompting him.

After starting with Cyril as the first witness in the trial within trial, the judge, Justice Salisu Umar adjourned the matter to February 19 and March 8 for continuation of the trial within trial.