I know nothing about Azazi’s N10b, says Dasuki’s military aide

A former Military Assistant in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Col. Nicholas Ashinze, has said that he knows  nothing about N10billion allegedly belonging to a former National Security

Adviser, the late General Owoye Azazi.

He also denied having either N500 million or N6.5billion in his personal account.

Ashinze made the disclosures in an affidavit in support of his application before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory seeking the enforcement of his fundamental human rights.

The embattled Army Colonel is one of the 11military officers under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Until his invitation for interrogation on December 22, 2015, he was an intelligence military aide to the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

It was learnt that he served in the same capacity to Gen. Azazi, who died in an air crash.

But following his initial detention by the anti-graft agency and confinement at Officers’ Mess by the military authorities, Col. Ashinze sued the EFCC, the Chief of Army Staff and the Army.

He is seeking  a declaration that his arrest, detention and continued detention of the  from 23rd December, 2015 till date, by combined operatives of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents, without being  given any reason for the continued detention of the Applicant, and without granting him administrative bail within 24 hours, or 48 hours of his arrest and detention, are illegal, wrongful, unlawful and constitute a blatant violation of his fundamental rights as enshrined in Sections 34 (1), 35 (1), (3), (4) & (6), 36 (1), 37, 41 (1), 44 (1) and 46 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as altered by sections 1 (1), (2), 30 (1), (2), 31 (1), 32 (1), (2), (3), 159 (1) & 314 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and Articles 2, 3 (2), 5, 6, 7 (1) (a), (b), (d), 12 (1) & 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

But the military officer opened up on how investigation was extended to Azazi’s N10billion in affidavit sworn to by his sister, Mrs Beatrice Akaraiwe Ifeanyi, based on facts including those from Ashinze.

He said the EFCC operatives allegedly asked him to account for the whereabouts of Azazi’s N10billion.

He said in the affidavit: “That by virtue of my position aforesaid, and my closeness with the Applicant as my biological brother, I am conversant with the facts of this case, which I depose to, based on facts derived from my personal knowledge, except as may be stated otherwise, or as given to me by the Applicant herein.

“That at a meeting held with the Applicant herein, in company of Barrister Harrison N. Obi of Mike Ozekhome’s Chambers, Counsel to the Applicant, on the 23rd of February, 2016, at about 3pm, at his detention camp, the Applicant and the said Harrison N. Obi informed me and I verily believe them to be true, the matters, as hereinafter deposed to.

“That on the 5th of February 2016, the Applicant was again summoned to the interrogation room and the following funny and wholly false allegations were made against him: that the Applicant had sums of money amounting to $500million US Dollars in his Nigerian account and N6.5billion in other accounts. The Applicant was also accused of being in possession of former National Security Adviser, General O.A. Azazi’s N10billion.

“That the 1st Respondent’s operatives also accused the Applicant of owning about seven (7) properties in Apo and Wumba, a night club and lounge in Abuja.

“That the operatives also accused the Applicant of diverting Government’s property to his name during his job as a Defence Attache in Germany, an assignment he had not even taken up as at the time of the weird allegations.

“That the Applicant, out of incredulity, laughed over all the phony allegations as they were not only false and unfounded, but sounded more like a tale from the Arabian nights. He told the officers of the 1st Respondent that he knew nothing about the false and damning allegations.

“The Applicant, further informed the 1st Respondent’s operatives that although he had been posted to Germany as Defence Attache, he had not even reported to Germany before his arrest and detention by the 1st Respondent, let alone converting government’s property in Germany to his name.”

Ashinze alleged that he was wrongly accused of ownership of Geonel Integrated Services Ltd and AR Security Ltd, which a panel had alleged, received contracts from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The affidavit added: “That the Applicant was informed that the above purported allegations were said to have been raised by the Panel set up by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), to investigate arms procurement between the year 2007 and 2015.

“That the Panel had accused and ascribed to the Applicant, ownership of Geonel Integrated Services Ltd and AR Security Ltd, which the Panel had alleged, received contracts from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).

“That after making his statement, the Applicant was promptly detained at the dingy underground cell of the 1st Respondent, under the most excruciating and degrading inhuman conditions.

“That during the period of his horrific detention in the custody of the 1st Respondent, the officers of the 1st Respondent took the Applicant to his home at No. 67, Vision Court, Apo, Abuja, wherein the officers of the 1st Respondent, conducted thorough searches at his home, and carted away the Applicant’s personal computer, personal documents and other personal items and properties, many of which the Applicant cannot remember now.

“That the Applicant was abandoned in the most horrific underground cell until 28th December, 2015, when Mr. Wolfgang was arrested and brought to the office of the 1st Respondent.

“That Mr. Wolfgang, before the officers of the 1st Respondent and in his statement, confirmed his ownership of Geonel Integrated Services Ltd and AR Security Ltd, as against the allegation that the companies belong to the Applicant.

“That on the 3rd of February 2016, the Chairman of the 1st Respondent again sent for the Applicant from the underground cell. The chairman then gave specific instructions to his operatives in the Applicant’s presence, saying, “Let the officer be released on self recognizance”.

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