When a big man starts confessing his "sins" freely, most times he's trying to beg for plea bargain...
The ongoing interrogation of the former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, entered its 3rd day with him saying that N785m out of the N4.68bn he collected was spent on souvenirs and other items to promote anti-Boko Haram campaign in Lagos.
“He told the panel that the N785m was spent on procurement of souvenirs for the campaign against Boko Haram in Lagos out of which N200m was spent on surveillance activities."
Obanikoro is being grilled by the EFCC in connection with disbursement of N4.68bn, the anti-graft commission claimed was collected by the ex-minister in the run-up to the governorship election in Ekiti State in June 2014 and Osun State in August 2014.
The ex-minister, who surrendered himself to the EFCC, admitted on Wednesday that he transferred N1.7bn of the money to the PDP governorship candidate in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
According to The Nation, Obanikoro told the panel that Dasuki was worried when a bomb blast supposedly rocked Lagos, adding that he was committed to ensuring that there was no recurrence.
He told the operatives that Dasuki told him that a recurrence would have grave implications not only on Lagos but also on the entire economy of the country and should be stopped.
Obanikoro was said to have explained that it was at that point that Silva McNamara was introduced to the former NSA.
A top operative of the EFCC stated that Obanikoro said the money was paid into the personal account of Omisore and accounts of companies nominated by the former Osun State deputy governor.
The former minister was said to have asked the EFCC to get the details of the transactions from the banks already identified.
He alleged that out of a total of N4.685bn paid into the account of Sylva Mcnamara, a company linked to Obanikoro’s sons, Babajide and Gbolahan, a total of N3.880bn was paid to the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and Omisore for the 2014 polls in the two states.
The Billions were shared through cash and bank transfers.
The operative quoted Obanikoro as having told the EFCC interrogators that he handed over the dollar equivalent of the funds to Fayose in the presence of some PDP leaders.
The source said, “The former minister, Obanikoro, is still with the commission. The investigation is still ongoing and he cooperated and answered the questions put to him.
“He admitted that he transferred N1.7bn to Senator Iyiola Omisire out of the N4.685bn paid into the Silva Mcnamara’s account on the instructions of Col. Sambo Dasuki, the former NSA.
“He said a total of N3.880bn was transferred to Fayose and Omisore from the N4.685bn that was transferred to the company account of Sylva McNamara.
“The former minister told the commission that Tope Aluko (the then Ekti State Secretary of the PDP) and other PDP leaders were present when the dollars were handed over to Fayose, who took them to a room next to where they met.”
He told the operatives that Dasuki told him that a recurrence would have grave implications not only on Lagos but also on the entire economy of the country and should be stopped.
Obanikoro was said to have explained that it was at that point that Silva McNamara was introduced to the former NSA.
A top operative of the EFCC stated that Obanikoro said the money was paid into the personal account of Omisore and accounts of companies nominated by the former Osun State deputy governor.
The former minister was said to have asked the EFCC to get the details of the transactions from the banks already identified.
He alleged that out of a total of N4.685bn paid into the account of Sylva Mcnamara, a company linked to Obanikoro’s sons, Babajide and Gbolahan, a total of N3.880bn was paid to the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and Omisore for the 2014 polls in the two states.
The Billions were shared through cash and bank transfers.
The operative quoted Obanikoro as having told the EFCC interrogators that he handed over the dollar equivalent of the funds to Fayose in the presence of some PDP leaders.
The source said, “The former minister, Obanikoro, is still with the commission. The investigation is still ongoing and he cooperated and answered the questions put to him.
“He admitted that he transferred N1.7bn to Senator Iyiola Omisire out of the N4.685bn paid into the Silva Mcnamara’s account on the instructions of Col. Sambo Dasuki, the former NSA.
“He said a total of N3.880bn was transferred to Fayose and Omisore from the N4.685bn that was transferred to the company account of Sylva McNamara.
“The former minister told the commission that Tope Aluko (the then Ekti State Secretary of the PDP) and other PDP leaders were present when the dollars were handed over to Fayose, who took them to a room next to where they met.”
