I helped my boss in transporting poll funds - Obanikoro ex-aide
Obanikoro
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have obtained a statement from an officer of the Nigerian Navy, Lt.-Cdr
Olumide Adewale,
that he helped his former boss, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, to transport
money, which was flown to Akure and later handed over to Abiodun Agbele
on the instructions of Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State.
Adewale, who was the Aide-de-Camp to
Obanikoro when the latter was the Minister of State for Defence, said
this on Wednesday when he was interrogated by detectives of the EFCC.
According to the anti-graft agency, the
money was part of the N4.7bn that was paid into Obanikoro’s sons’
company account, Sylvan McNamara, on the instructions of the embattled
former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
Adewale, who was in charge of
Obanikoro’s security for about a year, told the EFCC that everything he
did was under the strict instructions of his boss.
He told investigators that on June 16,
2014, barely a week to the Ekiti State governorship election, he,
alongside Obanikoro, departed the ex-minister’s Park View home in Ikoyi,
Lagos, and headed for the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The naval officer told detectives that
on getting to the airport, he met Obanikoro’s son, Gbolahan. He said
Gbolahan and the former minister had a brief meeting after which a
bullion van arrived at the private wing of the airport.
Adewale told the EFCC operatives that
Gbolahan then directed some men at the airport to offload the money from
the bullion van and load it unto the aircraft.
The entire activity was said to have been captured on CCTV.
A detective of the anti-graft agency
quoted Adewale as saying, “The flight was delayed for about an hour.
Later, a bullion van pulled into the hangar where the chartered flight
was. Shortly after, Gbolahan ensured that some bags were offloaded unto
the plane. I later boarded the flight with Obanikoro and his friend, Dr.
Tunde Oshinowo (a PDP chieftain and a mutual friend of Obanikoro and
Fayose).”
The EFCC detectives told one of our
correspondents that on getting to the Akure airport, Obanikoro was
welcomed by Mr. Abiodun Agbele, Fayose’s ally, who had since been
arrested by the commission.
Adewale confirmed that Obanikoro was welcomed at the airport by a politician.
He told investigators that he did not know the name of the person but could recognise the person.
The naval man was further quoted as
saying, “On arrival at Akure, the minister had a discussion with
political friends. A bullion van was driven to the tarmac. The bags were
offloaded unto the bullion van and the minister directed that we escort
the van to a Zenith Bank branch in Akure.
“On arrival, the bags were offloaded by
bank workers under the supervision of a civilian who had come to meet
the minister at the Akure airport. I don’t know the man facially but I
can recognise him.”
Meanwhile, Fayose has said the EFCC is on a wild goose chase in Ekiti State.
The governor stated that the
anti-corruption commission had shifted attention to the finances of
Ekiti State after what he claimed to be the failure of the commission to
link him with the diversion of arms funds at the NSA’s office under
Dasuki.
Governor Fayose, who spoke on Orange FM station
in Akure, Ondo State, on Thursday, said the EFCC had started harassing
banks in Ekiti State, seeking for records of government finances, on
allegations that the contractors gave him (governor) kickbacks.
“They are on vendetta mission. They said
I collected money from Dasuki and I have told them that I did not
collect a dime from Dasuki. I have N300m in my fixed deposit account in
Zenith Bank and I declared it in my Asset Declaration Form.
“I have challenged them to publish the
statement made to the EFCC by Dasuki where he said he gave Senator
Musiliu Obanikoro money to give me or where Obanikoro himself said he
gave me money.’’
Fayose called for proper restructuring of the country in line with the report of the 2014 National Conference.
“Nigeria has not been properly
structured and that’s why we are facing all these problems. Remember it
was those in power now that clamoured for restructuring when they were
in opposition.
The Governor further said, now that they have the federal powers and they are using
the powers to oppress the people, they are against the restructuring of
Nigeria.
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