A former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission operative has testified in court how former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, received the sum of N1.219 billion in cash from former minister of state for defence, Musiliu Obanikoro.
The witness, Mr Abubakar Madaki, told the court that Fayose used some of the money to buy property worth N270 million in Abuja and deposited N100 million in a fixed account. He also said that Fayose’s aide, Biodun Agbele, deposited a total of N150 million into Fayose’s company account between June 17 and 27, 2014.
Madaki further testified that on August 24, 2016, N168 million was also deposited into Fayose’s company account. He said the money was released from the impress accounts in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and was part of monies under the control of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).
“In our investigation, we contacted the People’s Democratic Party secretariat in Abuja. The party denied receiving any money from the National Security Adviser, or the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The party also said it did not give any campaign money to Senator Musiliu Obanikoro to give to the first defendant.
“So the funds moved from Diamond Bank to Zenith Bank were the funds that came from the impress account which is under the control of the office of the National Security Adviser to President Goodluck, Jonathan, Colonel Sambo Dasuki,” he said.
Madaki also told the court that the EFCC investigated Fayose’s claim that the money was campaign funds from the People’s Democratic Party.
He said the PDP secretariat in Abuja denied receiving any money from the National Security Adviser or the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The party also said it did not give any campaign money to Obanikoro to give to Fayose.
Madaki said that Fayose and his associate, Abiodun Agbele, were given an opportunity to explain the source of the huge sum of money deposited into Fayose’s company account, but they could not give any reasonable explanation.
Fayose and his company, Spotless Investment Limited, are being prosecuted by the EFCC for allegedly laundering N6.9 billion.
