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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commi s s i on (EFCC) has told the Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti how a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and a former Minister of Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro moved about N1,299,490,000 part of the money meant for the purchase of arms to Ekiti for the campaign of Governor Ayodele Fayose. Dasuki is standing trial over alleged diversion of $2.1 billion meant for the purchase of arms to fight the Boko Haram insurgence under the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan, while Obanikoro is outside the country.
The anti-graft agency had earlier frozen the account of Fayose with the Zenith Bank in Ekiti on ground that the account is on investigation over alleged financial crimes. Fayose had in turn, through his counsel, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) approached the court seeking for an order to compel the anti-graft agency to defreeze his account. Responding to the suit, the anti-graft agency, in its counter affidavit, explained how the said sum was moved from Abuja to Ekiti.
In an affidavit deposed to by an operative of the EFCC, Tosin Owobo, the agency averred that between the 5th and 17th day of June, 2014, Obanikoro, in grand conspiracy with Fayose and Dasuki, fraudulently removed the sum of N2,260,000,000.00 from the account of the office of NSA which was transferred to a company known as SYLVAN MCNAMARA LTD with account No. 0026223714 domiciled with Diamond Bank Plc. The EFCC further stated that the principal signatory to the said account is one Ibrahim Babajide, the son of Obanikoro.
He further averred that on the receipt of the money, Obanikoro conveyed same to Akure for the use of Fayose and that before the conveyance of the funds to Akure Airport, one Mr. Alade Oluseye, a staff of Zenith Bank, was informed by his colleague in the bank, Lawrence Akande, that a particular customer would be bringing cash to the Akure Air port for lodgement and that since the volume of the cash is quite heavy, there would be a need for Oluseye to use the bank’s bullion van to convey the cash.
In addition, the antigraft agency noted that on June 17, 2014, Oluseye, in the company of one Biodun Agbele who is an ally of Fayose, went to the Akure Airport wherein they took cash delivery of N724,500,000 from Obanikoro and his aide de camp, Lieutenant Colonel A.O Adewale. Also, he averred that on June 18, 2014, the following day, another sum of N494, 990,000 was also delivered to Oluseye by the minister in the same manner.
He revealed that the said amount was conveyed to Akure Airport by Obanikoro through a chattered aircraft with Registration No: HS125-800 5N-BMT belonging to GYRO AIR LTD.
Furthermore, the EFCC averred that on June 19, 2014, after Oluseye took delivery of the money, being the proceeds of crime, Agbele received an instruction from Fayose to collect the money and made cash deposit in the sum of N219,000,000 to De-privateer Ltd account No. 1013835889 domiciled with the Zenith Bank Plc. and that on the same day, Agbele made another cash deposit in the sum of N300 million, being part of the proceeds of crime to the said De-privateer Ltd’s with Zenith Bank.
Also, the anti-graft agency further averred that on June 23, 2014 the sum of N200 million being part of these proceeds of crime, was also deposited to the said De-Privateer Ltd’s account domiciled with Zenith bank. It added that on June 26, 2014 the said Biodun Agbele, on the instruction of Fayose, further dissipated the proceeds of crime by depositing the sum of N137 million to account No. 1003126654 domiciled with the Zenith Bank in the name of Fayose.
The deponent also averred that on the 22nd and 27th day of August, 2014 Agbele also deposited the sum of N50 million and N118, 760,000 respectively to the said account and retained in the account, the sum of N300 million was put in a fixed deposit account No. 9013074033 in the name of Fayose on April 5, 2015. He, however, added that the said N300 million is still in the account.
He also added that on June 17, 2014 the same Agbele made another cash deposit of N100 million to Spotless Investment Ltd with account No. 1010170969 domiciled with Zenith Bank. The company is owned by Fayose. EFCC further averred that on June 23, 2014 the sum of N49 million was also deposited to Spotless Investment Ltd Account with Zenith Bank, adding that there is still a balance of N89, 454,765.00 in the account.
The anti-graft agency further submitted that apart from the said sum moved to Ekiti by Obanikoro, Fayose also received gratification in form of kickbacks from various contractors with the Ekiti State Government such as Samchese Nigeria Ltd, Tender Branch Concept Nig. Ltd, Hoff Concept Ltd, and Calibre Consulting Ltd.
The commission said that Fayose received these kickbacks and gratification through Still Earth Ltd and Signachorr Nigeria Ltd and that, in turn, he instructed the Still Earth Ltd and Signachoor Nigeria Ltd to use the funds to acquire properties for him.
According to the antigraft agency, “that in complying with the applicant’s instruction, Still Earth Ltd and Signachoor Nigeria Ltd acquired properties on behalf of the applicant (Fayose) in the name of company known as J.J. TECHNICAL SERVICES LTD belonging to the applicant and his wife.
“That the applicant also used the name of one Mrs. Moji Ladeji (the applicant’s sister) to acquire a property situate at No.44, Osun Crescent, Maitama, Abuja from the proceeds of the alleged offences of receiving gratification and kickbacks.”
