An officer of the Nigerian Navy, Lt.-Cdr
Olumide Adewale, has told the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission 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 grilled 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.
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. Now that they have
the federal powers and they are using the
powers to oppress the people, they are
against the restructuring of Nigeria,” he said.
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