Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Alkali Mamu
Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Alkali Mamu, a former Chief of
Administration at the Nigerian Air Force headquarters, yesterday told an
FCT High Court how foreign mercenary pilots were engaged to combat Boko
Haram terrorists, disguised as instructors.
According to SaharaReporters, led in evidence by his counsel, Chief
Joseph Daudu (SAN) in a four-count charge bordering on bribery brought
against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mamu
said the office of the National Security Adviser decided to assist the
Nigerian Air Force by engaging these mercenaries due to “the
terrible performance of our armed forces at the height of the war
against Boko Haram towards the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2014.”
“I was in Ukraine when this covert and sensitive military
assignment was given to one Hima Abubakar of Societe D’Equipments
Internationaux Nigeria Limited (the company EFCC said he received the
bribe from) by the NSA. Abubakar identified three mercenary fighter
pilots, soldiers of fortune and veterans of many wars willing to take up
this job,” he said.
Mamu said he was ordered by the then Chief of Air Staff to liaise
with Abubakar to facilitate the medical examination and process entry
visas into Nigeria for the three Ukrainian mercenary pilots that were
coming to fly the MI35P helicopters. He added that due to the undercover
nature of the assignments, transactions and documentation were mainly “in pseudo or disguised form, including monies and properties which form part of this charge against me.”
“My Lord, these are matters that will expose Nigeria’s
contravention of the United Nation’s Charter of armed conflicts
especially Resolution 44/34,” he said.
The judge, Justice Salisu Garba, at this point, asked the EFCC
counsel, Sylvanus Tahir if he still wanted the trial to continue in open
court due to the sensitive nature of the evidence as it regards to
national security. But the judge said the evidence could go ahead in
open court.
Mamu added that his evidence may also expose diplomats and foreign
nationals that came to the assistance of Nigeria and may lead to their
criminal prosecution for war crimes-related offences. “It may also
lead to sanctions against Nigeria, including embargoes on sales of arms.
It is for these reasons the court was being pleaded with to continue in
the chamber,” he said, before adding that the introduction of the mercenaries was a game-changer for the NAF.
Mamu said with the introduction of the mercenaries, the Nigerian
Air Force was able to commence night bombardments of Boko Haram with
devastating effect. “Sadly, nearly three months after, one of the
Ukrainian fighter pilots, Captain Chup Vasyl crashed while on night
combat and died. I was ordered by the Chief of Air Staff to inform
Abubakar and there was the need to make payment to the family of the
late pilot as the insurance cover was not fully processed at the time of
the accident. I consequently wired the sum of $100,000 to the family of
late Cpt Vasyl,” he said.
Mamu said he was also ordered by the Chief of Air Staff to get
permission from the family of the late Cpt Vasyl for the remains to be
cremated, as there was practically nothing left. He added that with the
permission of the family gotten, and in view of the sensitive nature of
the cause of death, “the leadership of the NAF obtained a certificate of death and classified the cause of death as a result of a car crash.”
Mamu said he was again ordered by the Chief of Air Staff to contact
the Ukrainian embassy in Abuja and he presented the certificate of
death at the embassy. “We were later invited by the Ukrainian acting
ambassador, Mr. Mycolo Salastov to a ceremony to pay last respects to
the late Captain Vasyl. The remains were placed in a small box and
sealed diplomatically by the acting ambassador,” he said.
He added that the Chief of Air Staff thereafter ordered him to move
the two surviving pilots traumatised by the death of their colleague
from the war zone in the North East to Abuja before their departure to
Ukraine.
The trial continues, with further evidence, on November 6th.
0 comments:
Post a Comment