IBADAN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Court of Appeal has set aside the judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja in the case against ex-Chief of Air Staff Dikko Umar for alleged theft of military funds
Umar was alleged to have used funds he siphoned from accounts of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) between September 2010 and December 2012 to acquire six choice properties in Abuja, Kano and Kaduna states.
But the defendant who was earlier docked before the Federal High Court in May 2016, had pleaded not guilty to the charge brought against him before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had ruled that the EFCC failed to provide evidence that Umar used the money for the renovation of his property in Abuja.
The judge said it would be dangerous to speculate that a retired officer must be aware of every NAF financial transaction.
In February 2021, Dimgba dismissed six out of the seven charges the EFCC filed against Umar.
The agency, through its counsel Sylvanus Tahirm, then asked the appellate court to overturn the verdict.
Ruling, a Court of Appeal panel led by Justice Elfrieda Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu upturned Justice Dimgba’s judgment.
The court ordered the defendant to continue with his defence on counts 1,2,3,5 and 6