ZENITH Bank official Sunday Alade has confessed that it took him and some of his colleagues a total of 10 days to count the N1.22bn (£3.06m) cash former defence minister Senator Musiliu Obanikoro handed to Ekiti State governor Ayo Fayose in 2014.
Senator Obanikoro has confessed to having given Governor Fayose a sum of N2.3bn (£6m) in the run-up to the state governorship elections which took place in 2014. Senator Obanikoro was accused of using state funds to try and influence the outcome of the state governorship elections and has admitted handing the money over after receiving it from the former national security adviser Col Sambo Dasuki.
Mr Alabi, an official of Akure branch of Zenith Bank, told a Federal High Court in Abuja how he and his colleagues took turns to count the sum of N1.22bn delivered to Governor Fayose's aide Abiodun Agbele, in 2014. He said the huge cash airlifted into Akure airport by Senator Obanikoro, was in N1000 and N500 bills.
Adding that the money was flown in twice, Mr Alabi said he said he got worried when he saw the large consignment of cash. He added that the counting went on between 8am and 3pm for 10days.
Mr Alabi said: “It took us 10 whole days to count the money after we brought it from the Akure Airport. It took us from 8am to 3pm daily to count the money and sometimes, the officials counting it would take time off.”
Governor Fayose's aide Mr Agbele is being prosecuted along with three companies – Sylvan Mcnamara, De Privateer and Spotless – on 11 counts of money laundering involving about N4,685,723,000,000. The prosecution alleged that the accused persons knew the N4,685,723,000,000 formed part of the proceeds of alleged unlawful activities by Col Dasuki.
Mr Alade had also in his evidence, identified documents, including account opening packages for the accounts of Fayose, Spotless Investment and Deprivateer and statements of transactions in the accounts. These documents were later admitted by the court in evidence.
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