A former Minister of State for Defence,
Musiliu Obanikoro, yesterday surrendered to the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, over the alleged N4.75bn arms fraud.
A reliable source told our correspondent
that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain, arrived the Abuja
office of the anti-graft agency yesterday at about 2 p.m.
His arrival in the country, however,
surprised many people because he had initially vowed not to return to
the country, alleging that the present administration rail-road him into
the case in order to discredit him.
Obanikoro, a one-time governorship
candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos
State has been engaged in a game of wits with the anti-graft agency
since the alleged monumental fraud, known as armsgate, blew into the
open.
EFCC’s spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed that Obanikoro had reported to the commission.
“The former Minister of State for Defence is with the commission,” he said.
EFCC had invited Obanikoro to answer questions in relation to N4.75bn arms funds which were traced to him.
The anti-graft agency is investigating a
company alleged to be owned by Obanikoro’s sons, and also linked with
the N4.75bn arms fund.
Former National Security Adviser, NSA,
Sambo Dasuki, is being detained in connection with the diversion of
monies meant for the procurement of arms to fight insurgency in the
beleaguered North East.
According to EFCC source, Obanikoro’s
sons, Babajide and Gbolahan, received a total of N4.745bn paid into the
Diamond Bank account of their firm.
Apart from that, Obanikoro, the EFCC alleged, also has a case to answer in the Ekiti elections scandal.
He was accused to have acted as a
conduit pipe through which part of the money meant for the prosecution
of war against the Boko Haram fighters, was ferried to Ekiti in a
chartered helicopter, to aid the alleged rigging of the election that
produced the current governor, Ayodele Fayose.
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