Obanikoro tells how Fayose allegedly took N1.2bn for election

A former state defense minister, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro, told a federal high court in Lagos state on Tuesday how N1.2 billion was reportedly taken by plane to former Ekiti governor Ayodele Fayose.

Fayose is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged fraud and money laundering.

He was first charged on October 22, 2018, before Judge Mojisola Olatotegun alongside his company, Spotless Investment Ltd on 11 counts.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the amount of N50 million on 24 October 2018 with bails of the same amount.

However, the defendant was charged again before Judge Chukwujekwu Aneke on July 2, 2019, after the case was withdrawn from Judge Olatoregun following EFCC’s petition.

Fayose also pleaded not guilty to the charges and was allowed to continue with the bail previously granted.

The EFCC has now opened the case for Justice Aneke and is still leading witnesses as evidence.

In December 2021, the commission called its 11th witness, one Ms. Joanne Tolulope, who related how one Abiodun Agbele, allegedly an associate of Fayose, allegedly bought properties worth millions of Naira for the defendants.

When the case was called on Tuesday, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) announced that he would appear before EFCC.

Messrs Ola Olanipekun (SAN) and Olalekan Ojo (SAN) announced appearances for the first and second defendant respectively.

Olanipekun then called on the 12^e prosecution witness, Obanikoro, to testify.

Obanikoro told the court that when he was defense minister, he operated a company known as Sivan Mcmera that was later used for security operations in Lagos.

He told the court it was to keep terrorist activities out of the state, following intelligence reports.

However, he said that before becoming a minister, the said company was run by his son.

Obanikoro testified that his son resigned as the company’s president and custodian of the bank account when it was used for security purposes.

He said that made him the operator of the account.

According to him, internal security for clandestine operations in Lagos State was also used to exclude terrorist activities.

In addition, the witness told the court that the security operations were funded by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

When asked if he knew a deceased Mr. Kareem Taiwo, he replied in the affirmative, adding that said Taiwo was among those who helped with security operations.

When asked by the prosecution to review Exhibit E Series and explain the transaction of June 5, 2014, and how it related to the present case, the witness told the court that there was an inflow of N200 million into the account of the office of the NSA.

He told the court that while he couldn’t remember exactly how it came in, he could see from the exhibit that there was an inflow of N200 million on June 5, 2014 and N2 billion on June 16, 2014 from an impressive NSA account.

He further told the court that he had received a call from Fayose, then a candidate for governor in Ekiti, asking if he had received money from the NSA’s office.

The witness told the court that he had answered ‘No’ and had promised to contact the defendant if the money came.

He said when the money finally dropped, he notified the defendant and asked how he wanted it sent.

Obanikoro testified that Fayose indicated that part of it should be in dollars and the other in Naira.

The witness told the court that he then called Ado-Ekiti to inquire from a bank if it had the amount, but was told that the branch did not.

He told the court that as the election was fast approaching at the time, he had to get the money from Lagos by plane.

He said the money was being transported in two batches.

He said the first batch was loaded onto an aircraft carrying him, while the rest were loaded onto another aircraft.

Obanikoro said the total amount was N1.2 billion.

Obanikoro added that dollars were obtained through a bureau de change, but said he could not recall the exact amount.

He told the court that when he arrived in Akure, he saw an assistant of the defendant who approached him and introduced himself.

He said he then called Fayose and requested that the money be handed over to the assistant.

The witness told the court that he then instructed his orderly to accompany the assistant as he went to Ado-Ekiti to meet Fayose.

He testified that he had seen a bullion truck come to collect the money in Akure.

Obanikoro said he met Fayose at a hotel in Ado Ekiti and told him what happened at the airport.

The court adjourned the case until February 1 for the continuation of the trial.

Nigeria’s news agency reports that the prosecution called witnesses from several commercial banks, as well as Obanikoro, during the Olatoregun trial.

According to the Fayose indictment, on June 17, 2014, he and Abiodun Agbele illegally took N1.2 billion to finance his gubernatorial election campaign in Ekiti.

Fayose also allegedly received a $5 million (approximately N1.8 billion) cash payment from Obanikoro without the intervention of a financial institution.

He is also charged with unlawfully holding N300 million in a bank account and illegally taking approximately N622 million.

The EFCC claims that the former governor should have reasonably known that the money was part of the proceeds of crime.

It also alleges that the defendants De Privateer Ltd. and Still Earth Ltd. to illegally detain N851 million.

It alleges that Fayose used approximately N1.6 billion of crime proceeds to acquire real estate in Lagos and Abuja.

The commission also accused Fayose of using N200 million crime proceeds to acquire a property in Abuja in the name of his elder sister, Moji Oladeji.

The alleged offenses are in violation of sections 15(1), 15(2), 15(3), 16(2)(b), 16(d) and 18(c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act of 2011.

NAN