By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA— The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has  deferred till March 7, the arraignment of  former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, who was accused of diverting over N3.9 billion from accounts of the Nigerian Air Force.

The court had earlier fixed, yesterday, for Badeh to enter his plea to the10-count criminal charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him.

However, the case could not proceed as scheduled due to the absence of the trial judge, Justice Abang Okon, who was said to have travelled out of jurisdiction.

The court has  nonetheless communicated the new trial date to all the parties.

In the charge FHC/ABJ/CR/46/2016, the EFCC alleged that the former defence chief used the looted funds to purchase choice property within the highbrow areas in Abuja.

The commission equally cited a firm, Iyalikam Nigerian Limited, as the second defendant in the charge bordering on money laundering, corruption and criminal breach of trust.