Former minister of defence for state, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro has made some damning revelations in the on-going trial of the embattled former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Peter Ayodele Fayose.
Fayose is standing trial alongside his company, Spotless in a #6.9bn alleged to have been syphoned from the coffers of the National Security Adviser.
Obanikoro, who is being led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) told Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court Lagos on Monday that he received a call from Mr. Peter Ayodele in June, 2014, when the Ekiti State gubernatorial election was approaching wanting to know if there was any message from the NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki.
Obanikoro revealed that he replied in the affirmative, but that shortly after his call, a message entered from the NSA saying that certain amount of money would be received into the account that was opened to manage the Boko Haram threat under his watch as Minister of State for Defence.
He said that the NSA told him that Fayose would call him as to how he would receive the money, adding that a total equivalent of $5m from the imprest account of the NSA was given to Fayose by the order of the NSA.
Obanikoro said that Fayose introduced one Biodun Agbele to him that he would be the one to receive the money for him, which was allegedly done in 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“I had earlier wanted to transfer the dollars so that the naira equivalent can be withdrawn in Ado Ekiti, which was the reason why I initially called Diamond Bank M.D but he replied that the bank did not have such capacity in Ado Ekiti for that huge amount of money,” he said.
Obanikoro added that the sum of #200m was given to Fayose on the 5th of June, 2014 from the imprest account of the National Security Adviser.
He equally said that the sum of #2bn was delivered to Fayose during Ekiti state election in 2014 from National Security Adviser impress account on the 16th of June, 2014
Obanikoro said further that his aide, who is now late, was in the meeting, where Fayose acknowledged the receipt of the total naira equivalent of $5m in Spotless Hotel, Ado Ekiti owned by Fayose.
Fayose’s counsel Kanu Agabi SAN applied for an adjournment to enable him cross examine Obanikoro.
Counsel to Fayose’s company, Mr Olalekan Ojo SAN, who was also joined as a second defendant in the charge, urged Justice Olatoregun to adjourn the case to enable him confer with his client on the evidence of Obanikoro.
Justice Olatoregun subsequently adjourned the case to 4the, 5th and 6th of February, 2019.
EFCC had accused Fayose of receiving various funds from the imprest account of the former NSA, which is meant for security purposes.
According to the charge, on June 17, 2014, Fayose and Agbele were said to have taken possession of the sum of N1.2 billion for purposes of funding his gubernatorial election campaign in Ekiti State, which sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.
Fayose was alleged to have received a cash payment of the sum of five million dollars, (about N1.8 billion) from the then Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, without going through any financial institution and which sum exceeded the amount allowed by law.
He was also alleged to have retained the sum of N300 million in his bank account and took control of the aggregate sums of about N622 million which sum he ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.
Fayose was alleged to have procured De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd, to retain in their two bank accounts, the aggregate sums of N851 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.
Besides, the accused was alleged to have used the aggregate sums of about N1.6 billion to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja, which sums he reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.
The accused was also alleged to have used the sum of N200 million, to acquire a property in Abuja, in the name of his elder sister, Moji Oladeji, which sum he ought to know also forms crime proceeds.
The offences contravened the provisions of sections 15(1), 15 (2), 15 (3), 16(2)(b), 16 (d), and 18 (c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.
