Fayose’s Trial: We Moved N1.2b Cash In Three Planes, Says Witness

• Danmola Otuyena, a banker, was testifying in Fayose’s trial for allegedly receiving and keeping N1.2billion and $5million said to have been stolen from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), contrary to the Money Laundering Act.

A prosecution witness yesterday told the Federal High Court in Lagos how three aircraft flew N1.2billion from Lagos to Ekiti State for delivery to former Governor Ayo Fayose.

Danmola Otuyena, a banker, was testifying in Fayose’s trial for allegedly receiving and keeping N1.2billion and $5million said to have been stolen from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), contrary to the Money Laundering Act.

Otuyena, who headed his bank’s Cash in Transit Services Unit when the transaction occurred, said he accompanied the bullion van that took the cash to the airport.

He was the fourth prosecution witness and was led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lawyer, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN).

The witness gave evidence on the bank account of Sylvan Mcnamara Limited and how cash was withdrawn from it on the instructions of former Minister of Defence (State) Musiliu Obanikoro on June 16 and 17, 2014.

The witness also revealed that although Obanikoro operated the account and was the known holder, he was not the official signatory to it nor was he a director to the company in whose name the account was opened.

Otuyena said he got instructions from his boss to get the cash ready for movement to Ekiti.

“My director gave further instructions that we should move the cash to the airport. We contacted the cash in transit company that renders bullion services – Bankers Warehouse Ltd – and the cash was moved to the private wing of Murtala Mohammed Airport.

“We could not get access when we got there, so we waited outside. My director said someone would be there to attend to us.

“He spoke to a certain Gbolahan Obanikoro through my phone. He helped to process a pass and we were able to enter the airport – the bullion van and myself.

“Later, Musiliu Obanikoro came. My boss called me and spoke to him through my phone and said we should give him the cash. The cash was given to him.

“We loaded the bags of cash into the aircraft. About two or three aircraft were used to load the cash.

“My director, Premier Oyiwo, having identified Obanikoro, said I should release the cash to him. When we pay cash to beneficiaries, they sign off for collection. Obanikoro signed off for collection,” the witness said.

Asked how the cash was packed, Otuyena said: “We have bags designed in a standard way in the banking industry. We used them to package the money. We call them jumbo bags. We used the biggest sizes to pack the money. We used jumbo bags for the N1.2billion.”

Otuyena said he also got a call from his boss on June 17, 2014 to pay N200million to Malik Bauchi from the same account operated by Obanikoro.

He said he was asked to waive the identification process.

“But we contacted the account holder. Rather than pay Bauchi, the amount was paid to the account holder. We used Ghana Must Go bags for the N200million,” the witness said.

Under cross examination by defence counsel Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) and Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN), the witness said there was an initial instruction that the N1.2billion be paid to six persons, but that they were not available to collect the cash before it was given to Obanikoro.

He insisted that Obanikoro was the account holder and ran the company account even though his name was not stated in the account opening documents that he was the sole signatory.

The witness read a board resolution appointing Olalekan Ogunseye as the sole signatory to the account.

“I’ve not come across any other resolution appointing another signatory to the account or Obanikoro as the signatory,” he said.

Ojo asked the witness if there was evidence that Obanikoro personally withdrew the cash from the bank in view of the fact that there was no instruction to that effect in his name.

The witness said: “The narration we have in the bank statement is fund transfer. There was no entry that Obanikoro received the N1.2billion.”

On why that is so, the witness explained: “The instruction to release the cash first went to the Treasury Department, which debited Sylvan Mcnamara’s account and moved the cash to a transit account. So the entry is a default narration for the debit.”

The witness said Obanikoro was not a director to the company, and that he did not know what happened to the cash after he handed it over to the former minister.

Three other witnesses testified earlier for the prosecution: Zonal Heads, Southwest 1 and 2 of a new generation bank, Lawrance Akande and Abiodun Oshodi, and the Head of Financial Operations of another new generation bank, Olaitan Fajuyitan.

Akande said he was informed that money would be brought from the Akure airport to be paid into the accounts of Spotless Nigeria Limited (Fayose’s company and co-accused) and De Privateer Limited.

He said Fayose’s associate Abiodun Agbele called him in June 2014, saying he had a lodgment of N1.2billion to make. He said he also got a call from Fayose to that effect.

Akande said he asked Oshodi to follow the transaction, adding that they had solicited for deposits from Fayose.

“I had no reason to regard the funds as proceeds of crime. I didn’t observe any anomalies in the operation of the accounts,” he said under cross examination.

Oshodi testified that he got a bullion van that took the money from Akure airport to the bank for lodgment.

“Biodun Agbele came with a security escort, including police and soldiers, and we went to the Akure airport with the branch manager and the bullion van.

“We moved the bullion van close to the plane, and then evacuated the cash. The former minister was there also.

“Agbele supplied the accounts where the money would be lodged – De Privateer, Spotless and the personal account of Fayose,” he said.

The witness also narrated how the cash was deposited. For instance, he said a driver, Taofik, came to the bank 21 times to make some cash deposits in one day.

He said Taofik deposited N9.9million 10 times, N9.5million 10 times, and N5.5million once. Other deposits were also made at various dates, he said.

“Taofik happens to be the driver of Abiodun Agbele. The teller was filled by our former cash officer. Taofik couldn’t write,” he said.

Oshodi testified that the deposits were normal, and that he associated with Agbele because he considered him a man of good character.

“I didn’t know the source of the money. I was glad to receive the money. Until I was called by the EFCC, I didn’t find any anomaly with the money,” he said under cross examination.

Oshodi said Fayose also did not personally visit the bank to make any lodgments.

Fajuyitan said he received instruction to make the N1.2billion available, as well as the N200million, which he moved into a transit account

He said since the money came from the ONSA account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), it must be legitimate.

“My bank will not knowingly receive proceeds of crime. The bank does not regard the money as proceed of crime,” the witness said.

Fayose had pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned on an 11-count charge.

He was charged with his company, Spotless Limited.

EFCC said Fayose and Agbele, who is facing a different charge, allegedly took possession of N1, 219, 000, 000 on June 17, 2014 to fund the former governor’s 2014 gubernatorial campaign.

The commission said Fayose “reasonably ought to have known” that the money “formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust/stealing.”

The alleged offence is contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) and (4).

EFCC said Fayose, on the same day, received cash payment of $5million from Obanikoro, without going through a financial institution, the sum having exceeded the amount authorised by law.

The alleged offence, EFCC said, contravenes Sections 1 and 16 (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011.

The commission said Fayose benefitted from N4.65billion slush funds allocated by the ONSA under Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) during the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

EFCC listed Obanikoro as one of 22 witnesses who will testify in the trial.

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun adjourned until January 21 and 28 for continuation of trial.

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BREAKING NEWS: I Will Defeat Buhari in 2019, Governor Fayose Vows, Declares For President In Absence Of Party Officials

• Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State has expressed confidence that he would defeat President Muhammadu Buhari in a free and fair presidential election, citing his record of having defeated two incumbent governors in separate governorship elections in Ekiti State.

Ayodele Fayose Declaring

Mr. Fayose made his assertions Thursday in Abuja at his official declaration to contest the 2019 presidential election as a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). PDP party officials were conspicuously absent from the governor’s declaration of his desire to dethrone Mr. Buhari whose close aides have reportedly started organizing his reelection bid.

Governor Fayose vowed to wrest power from the incumbent President under a free and fair election, adding that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had deceived Nigerians for more than two years. He said it was imperative to put an end to the APC’s deceptive government by 2019.

Mr. Fayose promised to steer Nigeria’s economic fortune back to a height of glory and ensure diversification of the country’s economy through agriculture, adequate power supply and creation of jobs for youths.

“Our country is faced with myriads of problems, our economy that was the fastest growing in Africa when our party was in power has gone comatose with the present managers who are completely clueless,” Mr. Fayose stated.

He remarked that Nigeria had never been more divided along ethnic and religious lines as it is now under the present Buhari administration.

“Most worrisome is the fact that our country is now more divided than ever before with the unity of the country being threatened due to nepotism, religious bigotry, and favoritism of the present government,” said the Ekiti State Governor.

Regarding the PDP’s position that it has zoned the presidency to the North, Mr. Fayose maintained that no one had come out to express interest, adding that the PDP should not wait or beg anyone to fly its presidential flag. He said he was also confident of defeating other aspirants in the party, pointing to the Biblical David’s defeat of Goliath.

“I challenged the North to come out with their candidates. I want to challenge all of them to the field. What are you afraid of? Come out. I [have thrown] my hat in the ring. Let them come and face me,” said the Ekiti Governor.

Mr. Fayose said he had no regrets for publicly declaring his support for his Deputy Governor to become the Governor of Ekiti in 2018.  He said that there was nothing stopping anybody to aspire to the highest position in the land if such person was performing.

Fani Kayode sitting next to Ayodele Fayose

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EXCLUSIVE: Why Governor Fayose Cannot Run For Presidency by Nwodo

• Nwodo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that PDP’s ideology forbade Fayose and other members from the South from contesting in the presidential race in 2019.

Ayo Fayose

Okwesilieze Nwodo, a Board of Trustee (BoT) member of People Democratic Party (PDP), says Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, cannot contest in the party’s primary poll for 2019 presidential election.

He stated this on Thursday in Abuja shortly after Fayose’s formal declaration of his intention to contest for the position of president of Nigeria in 2019 on PDP’s platform.

Nwodo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that PDP’s ideology forbade Fayose and other members from the South from contesting in the presidential race in 2019.

He said that the ideology would be followed to the letter in spite Fayose’s declaration.

“Fayose cannot run and I will tell you my reason.

“When we formed PDP, the first battle we fought and won as a party was to zone the presidency to the South.

“Those of us from the south made a case because in the first republic, prime minister was from the North; in the second republic, the president was from the North, and in the third republic, a southerner won and the election was annulled.

“There was no way we could go back to the south and say let’s elect a northerner again without giving the south a slot.

“A decision was taken that the presidency should come from the south and the chairman of the party to come from the north.

“That was how Solomon Lar became the chairman of PDP and secretary was zoned to the south; that was how I became the first secretary of the party,’’ he said.

READ: Melaye: Recall shifts to Appeal Court as INEC seeks substituted service

Nwodo, a former National Chairman of PDP, said that the party would take a decision to ensure that its Constitution and ordinances were respected.

He explained that those who tried it in the past failed to achieve their aim.

“For example, late Abubakar Rimi, former Governor of Kano State paid for a form and wanted to run.

“Then I was the national secretary, I returned his cheque and informed him that the party had taken a decision that the presidential candidate could only come from southern Nigeria.

“When we went to the Convention in Jos, he went to the venue and started to campaign without having a form because we didn’t give him.

“We had to get some party leaders around to go and counsel him; we didn’t want security agencies to manhandle or embarrass him and good counsel prevailed and he stepped down.

“That was what PDP did and now we did not only zone the presidency to the north, we have re-emphasised at every opportunity we had that the zoning will take place.

“So, the party will not collect expression of interest money from anybody else who is not from the North and will not issue him a nomination form to contest; no, we will not do that,’’ he added.

But, Fayose had in a letter to PDP leaders insisted that his ambition to be president was without prejudice to the party’s position, adding that it was in the interest of the party and Nigeria.

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SammyNews4u: Fayose denies saying he’ll commit suicide If Buhari returns alive

• Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has denied ever saying he would commit suicide if President Muhammadu Buhari returns alive from his medical trip in London. Governor Fayose gave the statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi.

  
  

  

  Fayose and Buhari

  Adelusi said the statement was never made by the Governor but was the orchestration of the All Progressives Congress, APC, party. According to him, it was the “creation of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the state.”
  
  “Mr. Fayose never said he would commit suicide if the President returns to the country. “It is the creation of the APC. It is their style to create such falsehood?”
  
  Before President Buhari returned to Nigeria, reports said Mr. Fayose was quoted as saying, “I will commit suicide if Buhari comes back alive.” President Buhari was in London for 104 days on a medical trip. He came back to Nigeria on the 19th of August, 2017, having been abroad since May 7.
  
  

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[NEWS] Obanikoro makes shocking revealtions, says he gave Fayose N2.3bn

• Former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has said that he gave the sum of N2.3bn to the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, in the run-up to the Ekiti State governorship election in 2014.

Fayose and Obanikoro

                        Obanikor accompanied by his lawyer, Mr. James Onoja(SAN), at the EFCC office in Abuja said according to sources ‘the sum of N2.2billion was transferred to Sylva Mcnamara for onward transfer to Mr. Ayodele Fayose on the instruction of the NSA. ‘The sum of N1.3billion cash was brought in a bullion van by Diamond Bank on the instruction of the NSA. ‘In addition, the sum of N60million was converted to dollars at the rate of N168 per dollar and altogether the sum of $5,377,000 was handed over in cash by me to Mr. Fayose while the N1.3billion was received by Mr. Fayose’s associate, Mr. Abiodun Agbele in the presence of my Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Lt. Adewale who also accompanied them to the bank along with the bank officials. On how the cash was transferred to Fayose, Obanikoro said that “two flights were used to convey the money from Lagos. The ex-Minister said he “took off with the first flight with part of the money while the second flight brought the remaining funds to Akure local airport and I directed that it should be handed over to the same person.” The source said Obanikoro however maintained that part of the cash was used to ward off Boko Haram aggression in Lagos and in the South-West in general. The source added: “He told us that he is not the owner of the company in question but introduced the owner, Mr. Kareem Taiwo to the NSA, Mr. Sambo Dasuki when the threat of Boko Haram became more visible in Lagos. “He said the government wanted to “incorporate local input into the intelligence gathering and prevention of terrorist attack on Lagos and the South-West in general.” The EFCC had discovered that Sylvan Mcnamara Limited, allegedly owned by Obanikoro and his sons, was used to launder the N4.745billion. The company, which was incorporated in November 2011 had the following as its directors: a close aide of the ex-Minister, Ikenna Ezekwe(700,000 shares) of 51 Simpson Street, Ebute-Metta; Idowu Oshodi(299,000 shares) of 8, Prince Tayo Adesanya Street, Park View Estate, Ikoyi; and Elizabeth Adebiyi(1,000 shares) of 3, Adedoyin Street, Ijeshatedo, Surulere. But Ikenna Ezekwe has had his accounts de-frozen by the EFCC since the slush funds were not traced to him. A document said: “To set the stage for the use of the company for money laundering, the board of directors on May 7, 2012 passed a resolution that the company should open an account and appointed Mr. Gbolahan Obanikoro, Ikenna Ezekwe, Ms. Theresa Matuluko (Secretary) and Mr. Babajide Obanikoro as the signatories to the account. “The board added that the signing combination be that any of the signatories can sign alone.” According to EFCC, when it was time to illegally draw the N4.745billion from ONSA as war chest for Ekiti Governorship poll, ex-Minister Obanikoro made the account of Sylvan Mcnamara Limited available and coordinated the disbursement. The breakdown of the disbursement was as follows: N N759, 384, 300 changed into dollars through Bureau De Change firms; N160million used to purchase cars through Balmoral International Limited; N1, 219, 490,000 ferried by Obanikoro in two flights to a branch of Zenith Bank at Plot 13, Alagbaka Estate, Akure to evacuate the cash and received by Fayose’s associate, Abiodun; balance of about N2billion withdrawn by Obanikoro and his two children in cash. Some of the Bureau De Change companies involved in the transactions and the amounts credited to them include A.A.G.B.S OIL AND GAS (N168,000,000.00); SYLVAN MCNAMARA LTD (N167,500,000.00); NORTHLINE LTD (N835,000.00); NORTHLINE LTD (N83,750,000.00); FIVE STAR LTD N(37,600,000.00); A.B.A TRADING ENT (N268,301,500.00); VILLAGOLF BUREAU DE (N1,425,000.00); AHMAD &OMAR (N350,000.000); NORTHLINE LTD (N1,680,000.00); NORTHLINE LIMITED A (N2,325,300); REHOBOTH HOMES (20,000,0000); NORTHLINE LTD (N5,932,500.00); NORTHLINE LTD (N842,500); NORTHLINE LTD (N842,500.00).

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