A former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, testified before the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday, stating that he was forced to refund between N100 million and N200 million to the Federal Government under duress. He made these remarks while serving as the twelfth prosecution witness in the trial of former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose.
Fayose and his company, Spotless Investment Limited, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an alleged N2.2 billion fraud. The EFCC claims that Fayose received N1.2 billion from former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki to finance his governorship election. The defendants are also accused of receiving $5 million from Obanikoro on 17 June 2014, without using financial institutions. Fayose has denied all allegations.
In earlier testimony, Obanikoro described how he transported cash by aircraft and delivered it to Fayose in Ekiti State. He told Justice Chukwujeku Aneke that N1.2 billion was deposited into the account of a company, Sylva McNamara, and used in two batches to fund clandestine security operations aimed at preventing terrorist activities in Lagos State.
During cross‑examination by counsel for the second defendant, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN), Obanikoro reiterated that, during the investigation, the EFCC invited him for questioning, grilled him, and compelled him to refund the N100 million‑N200 million amount under duress. He added that after various investigations the EFCC exonerated him of any wrongdoing. “I was made to refund between N100 million and N200 million to the Federal Government under duress,” he said, “I have instructed his lawyers to write to the EFCC for the return of the money he allegedly refunded under duress.”
Comments are closed for this story.