Stories by Chizoba Ogbeche
Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, detained former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, who had presented himself to the anti-graft agency.
Obanikoro is at the center of a corruption investigation of N7.5 billion arms money which the commission alleged he diverted to his personal use.
The Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the on-going interrogation of the former Minister who had earlier been invited by the agency.
‘’Yes, Musiliu Obanikoro is with us; and he is being interrogated’’, the EFCC’s spokesperson stated.
The EFCC and the former minister have been in a cat and mouse game for months over the allegation which also including claims by the commission that Obanikoro ferried about N1.29bn to Governor Ayo Fayose for election purposes.
The EFCC also alleged that the huge fund was traced to a company, Sylvan McNamara, which the EFCC claimed Obanikoro and his family had interest.
Two of his son Babajide Obanikoro and Gbolohan Obanikoro, are also linked to the company.
The former minister who arrived at the commission’s headquarters at about 1.30pm was accompanied by his lawyers and other political associates, and was immediately ‘’ushered into a secret cell for interrogation process.’’
In July, the EFCC said it found a video showing how Obanikoro transferred N1.29b to Fayose.
According to the anti-graft body, the money was meant to assist the election of Fayose as the governor and were transferred through HS125-800 5N-BMT belonging to Gyro Air Limited.
The ex-minister allegedly paid $25,000 for the air-lifting with the first flight loaded with N724.5million cash to the extent that there was no seat for any crew member or the former minister.
Obanikoro, his aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Colonel A.O Adewale, and crew member joined the second flight Akure Airport with N494.990m on board.
The commission that same July froze an account linked to Shalewa Obanikoro, a daughter of Obanikoro with claims that about N1.2bn passed through the account which belongs to an oil firm.
Shalewa, who is a signatory to the account, was said to have personally mandated Fidelity Bank to transfer N800m from the account to another account within the bank.
