Obanikoro, who was accompanied by eight
associates and friends to the Office of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission around 1pm on Monday, was still being grilled by
top operatives as at 8pm last night and there was no indication he
would be released.
The former minister stormed the office
of the EFCC in Abuja from his base in the United State of America,
apparently to honour a belated invitation from the commission, which
had earlier declared him wanted in relation to the laundering of cash
worth N4.7 billion allegedly funnelled from the Office of the former
National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki.
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| Obanikoro |
Obanikoro has denied any wrongdoing in
the matter, blaming the EFCC for trying to unjustly bring him down.
But the commission invited Obanikoro to answer questions in relation
to cash, which it claims was part of the looted $2.1 billion meant
for arms purchase to battle insurgents.
It will be recalled that the EFCC had
earlier in the year raided Obanikoro’s Lagos home and carted away
some property from the compound in the absence of the former minister
and his two sons, who have been under its radar over alleged receipt
of N4.7 billion from the office of the National Security Adviser,
Sambo Dasuki in 2014.
The cash was reportedly traced the two
men- Babajide and Gbolahan-who are both directors of a firm used in
siphoning the funds from the Office of the former National Security
Officer, Sambo Dasuki.
The commission said the raid was in
connection with earlier finding that the money received from the ONSA
‘came from curious transfers’ that needed explanations from the
recipients.
“We raided the house with a view to
getting relevant information in relation to ongoing investigation of
how the sum of N4.7 billion was moved in ten tranches into accounts
linked to the former minister’s sons,” the source said.
Before the raid, the EFCC had earlier
in the year accused the former minister and his sons of receiving the
money, which it alleged was used to influence elections in two
South-West states of Ondo and Osun.
The amount in question was paid in many
tranches from the ONSA account with the CBN into Sylvan McNamara
Limited in Diamond Bank with account No. 0026223714, which they
allegedly have interest.
Of interest to the EFCC is the fact
that all the transfers were done between June and December 2014, a
period that coincided with the preparation for and conduct of the
Ekiti Gubernatorial poll which brought Governor Ayodele Fayose into
office.
A breakdown of the payment, according
to EFCC, showed that the sum of N200 million was transferred into
Sylvan Mc Namara’s account on June 5, 2015, while N2 billion was
also wired into the account from the CBN/ Imprest Main account on
June 16, 2016.
Similarly, another transfer of N700
million landed on the account on July 7, 2014, while N1 billion was
credited to the account on July 30, 2014.
Other inflows into the account in
question were: N160 million on August 8, 2014; N225 million on August
22, 2014; N200 million on November 14, 2014 and N200 million on
December 5, 2014.
“Both Gbolahan and Babajide
Obanikoro, directors of the company, were also signatories to its
account until 2014 when one Olalekan Ogunseye was made sole signatory
to the account.
EFCC is furious that the payments to
the company from the office of the National Security Adviser were
made without any valid contract between it and the Federal
Government.
The Head of Media and Publicity of
EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed that Obanikoro had reported to
the commission but did not say if he would be detained or allowed to
go home on administrative bail.
Wilson said, “The the former Minister
of State for Defence is with the commission.”
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