Sahara Reporters
A former Director of Nigerian Navy Accounts, Rear Admiral Tahir Yusuf (retd.), on the wanted list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has again been caught in a web of controversies regarding his acquisition of multi-billion naira worth of properties across the country.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Yusuf who is currently under EFCC investigation for stealing N2billion while serving as Director of Nigerian Navy Accounts also acquired different properties worth billions of naira between 2006 and 2011 when he was Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director of Finance.
“Rear Admiral B.T Yusuf started as the Assistant Director of Finance, Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) as a Navy captain under General Sa’id Mohammed and General Babagana Mongono (the current National Security Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari), both of whom were Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), which is the official nomenclature of the head of the DIA before moving as a Director in the same office from 2006-2011.
“He left for the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) and after his study there, he was transferred to a Naval School in Owerrinta in Abia State sometime in 2013. His stay at Owerrinta was brief because he was later appointed as the Director of Navy Accounts and budget in 2015.
“Most of his properties and big investments were acquired while he was in the Defence Intelligence Agency. His hotels in Zaria, Kaduna and Maiduguri, a farm in Zaria, houses in Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and many other states but mostly being fronted by his close allies and family members.
“He bought Emerald hotel in Kaduna from the House of Representatives member representing Biu, Bayo, Kwaya Kusar, Shani, Federal Constituency of Borno state, Hon Aliyu Mukhtar Betara.
“Emerald suite in Zaria was bought from Alhaji Abdulkadir Magagi. Grand Pinnacle luxury Hotel in Maiduguri was built in 2010, but fronted by one Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Damchida as the owner and Director, other Directors are; Senator Audu Kwari representing Kaduna North Senatorial constituency and Abubakar Usman, who is the older brother of Rear Admiral BT Yusuf.
“In 2015, Tahir paid so much money into his companies, personal accounts and also fixed huge amount of money in fixed deposit accounts amounting to hundreds of millions while he was the Naval Director on Accounts and Budget in the Nigerian Navy under…
