Ex-defence minister Obanikoro and his two sons wanted in connection with sum of £16.5m

ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials are closing in on former defence minister Senator Musiliu Obanikoro after it emerged that he and his two sons set up a company through which they laundered state funds.

 

Investigations show that Senator Obanikoro who served as minister of state for defence in 2015 received money through the office of the national security adviser Col Sambo Dasuki. In what is fast becoming one of the biggest scandals of the Jonathan era, Col Dasuki shared out $2.1bn budgeted for arms purchases to members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and political associates.

 

Finding show that about N4.745bn (£16.5m) worth of curious transfers were made into the account of a company of which Senator Obanikoro's two sons Babajide and Gbolahan, were directors. There are strong indications that the funds were used to prosecute the governorship polls for in Ekiti and Osun States in behalf of the PDP.

 

 Currently residing in the US, Senator Obanikoro was central to the coordination of the governorship poll in Ekiti and Osun states, including the alleged abuse of troop deployment. Apparently, a former accountant-general is also on the radar of the EFCC, being one of the beneficiaries of another set of slush funds used for PDP’s campaign in the southwest.

 

All the slush funds were drawn from the Office of the National Security Adviser, with about N4.8bn was paid out in several tranches. According to one source, all the transfers were done between June and December 2014, a period that coincided with the preparation for and conduct of the Ekiti State gubernatorial election which ushered in the current administration of Governor Ayo Fayose.

 

One other source added: “Two sons of former minister of state for defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, Babajide and Gbolahan, are currently on the radar of the EFCC. About N4,745,000,000.00 was traced to a company, Sylvan McNamara, in which they have interest.

 

“The money was allegedly paid in several tranches into the company’s account number: 0026223714 with Diamond Bank from the Office of the National Security Adviser account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). For instance, N200m was transferred into Sylvan Mc Namara’s account on June 5, 2015, while N2bn was also wired into the account from the CBN/imprest main account on June 16, 2016."

 

It is not yet clear if Senator Obanikoro will honour any EFCC request to come home and answer the questions praised against him or if the government will have to seek an extradition request. Both of his sons are also resident in the US, where they are said to be involved in the real estate sector.