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Obanikoro opens up on his role in movement of $5m to Fayose
By: Oliseama Okwuchukwu
A former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, yesterday told the Federal High Court in Lagos the role he played in moving $5 million to Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
He testified in the trial of former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) EFCC charged Fayose and Abiodun Agbele, who is facing a different charge, with taking possession of N1, 219, 000, 000 on June 17, 2014 to fund the former governor’s 2014 gubernatorial campaign.
The commission said Fayose “reasonably ought to have known” that the money “formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust/stealing.”
EFCC said Fayose, on the same day, received cash payment of $5million from Obanikoro without going through a financial institution, the sum having exceeded the amount authorised by law.
The alleged offence, EFCC said, contravenes Sections 1, 15 (2) (d and 16 (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 and punishable under Section 15 (3) and (4)..
Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Obanikoro, the fifth prosecution witness, said the money was paid to Fayose’s account from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in June 2014.
According to the former minister, in June 2014 ahead of the Ekiti State governorship election, he received a call from Fayose asking if there was any “message” from the then National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
Obanikoro said the NSA eventually confirmed to him that he had a “message” for the accused.
The witness said Dasuki told him that money would be received in an account that was opened to manage Boko Haram insurgency under his watch as Minister of State for Defence.
“The NSA told me that Fayose will call me as to how he will receive the money. A total equivalent of $5million from the NSA impress account was given to Fayose by the order of NSA,” Obanikoro said.
The witness said Fayose introduced Biodun Agbele to him, explaining that he would be the one to receive the money for him, which was done at the Akure Airport “because it was physical cash.”
“I had earlier wanted to transfer the dollars so that the naira equivalent can be withdrawn in Ado Ekiti which was the reason why I initially called Diamond Bank Managing Director, but he replied that the bank did not have such capacity in Ado Ekiti for that huge amount of money,” Obanikoro said.
The former minister of state said his late aide was in the meeting where Fayose acknowledged receipt of total naira equivalent of $5million at Spotless Hotel owned by Fayose.
Jacobs then showed the witness exhibit E to confirm if it was the account to which the funds were transferred and the witness replied: “Yes”.
Obanikoro told the court that on June 13, 2014, and June 16, 2014, funds were posted into the account, adding that the funds were from the NSA’s impress account.
He said that he asked Fayose how he wanted the money sent, and that the former governor told him that some it should be paid in naira and others in dollars.
According to the witness, the money was eventually brought in a bullion van to the private wing of the Ikeja Airport, where Agbele, sent by the accused, was on standby.
He testified that after confirmation from the accused, the money was taken to Ado-Ekiti, following which he went to meet Fayose.
Obanikoro said the transactions occurred “about three days to the election”.
On the source of the money, the witness said: “The NSA is the only person that can ascertain the source of the money; it is from the impress account of the NSA.”
Obanikoro said that the account from which the money was transferred from was used for security purposes.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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