Former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, disclosed on Wednesday that a sum of N1.219 billion in cash was airlifted to the ex-governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, during the 2014 election.
Fayose is undergoing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) along with his company, Spotless Investment Limited. The charges pertain to their alleged involvement in N6.9 billion money laundering.
While testifying as a witness for the EFCC on Wednesday, Obanikoro informed Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that he received the money from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki.
“I was a minister under Jonathan’s administration. Sometime in 2014, we were going to have an election in Ekiti State. Some days before the election, I got a call from Governor Fayose asking me if I received any message for him from ONSA, I told him I would call him later.
“Then I had a phone conversation with the NSA and he told me that N2.2 billion was paid into the Sylvan Mcnamara Ltd account. And I handed over the N1.219 billion cash to Mr Agbele, the bank manager for onward delivery to Fayose. I didn’t take N19 million, contrary to a publication by a Lagos-based online platform.”
When asked about his association with Sylvan Mcnamara Ltd, Obanikoro explained that
the account was created to deal with the issue of Boko Haram in Lagos.
We airlifted the funds from Lagos in two tranches because the aircraft could not accommodate the funds.”
Justice Dimgba has set February 27, 2024, as the new date for the trial to proceed.
Kanyi Daily recalls that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had re-arraigned Ayodele Fayose, before a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
