EFCC officials indict Governor Fayose and Musiliu Obanikoro in Dasukigate scandal

ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials have revealed that Ekiti State governor Ayo Fayose and former minister of state for defence Senator Musiliu Obanikoro are under investigation for receiving N4.745bn (£15.6m) from former national security adviser.

 

Highly vocal and critical of President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Fayose has recently been indicted over his role in the last gubernatorial election in the state. Senator Obanikoro too has been under investigation for his role in the $2.1bn Dasukigate scandal in which money meant to purchase arms for the military was diverted into private pockets.

 

Apparently, the cash was sourced from the impress account of the Office of the National Security Adviser under ex-national security adviser Col Sambo Dasuki. Others linked with the sharing of the slush funds include Governor Fayose’s associate, Abiodun Agbele, Helen Olayemi Fayose and Senator Obanikoro’s sons Gbolahan and Babajide, as well as Ikenna Ezekwe.

 

Companies also under investigation included Sylvan Mcnamara, a company allegedly  run by the Obanikoros, Spotless Hotel, owned by Fayose and De Privateer, which is owned by Mr Agbele. A curious aspect of the findings by the EFCC is how Senator Obanikoro, as a minister, flew N1.218bn to Akure on June 12, 2014 for Governor Fayose a few days before the election.

 

EFCC investigators discovered that a firm, Sylvan Mcnamara, allegedly owned by Senator Obanikoro and his sons, was used to launder the N4.745bn. The directors of the company, which was incorporated in November 2011, are Ikenna Ezekwe, Idowu Oshodi and Elizabeth Adebiyi.