In a significant turn of events at the Federal High Court in Lagos, a former operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Abubakar Madaki, shed light on how a substantial sum of N1,219,000,000 in cash was purportedly handed over to former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, by the former Minister of State for Defense, Musiliu Obanikoro. The revelation unfolded during the EFCC’s prosecution of Fayose and his firm, Spotless Investment Limited, on charges of alleged money laundering amounting to N6.9 billion.
Madaki, the 13th Prosecution Witness, detailed how Fayose utilized the funds, indicating that the ex-governor acquired a property worth N270 million from Rabiu Kundili in Abuja and deposited an additional N100 million in a fixed account.
Under the examination by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Madaki testified that between June 17 and 27, 2014, a total of N150 million in cash was deposited into Spotless Investment Limited’s bank account by Biodun Agbele, an aide to Fayose. Another deposit of N168 million was recorded on August 24, 2016.
Madaki asserted that the funds were sourced from the imprest accounts in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, controlled by the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.). Responding to Fayose’s claim that the N1.2 billion was campaign funds from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Madaki revealed that their investigation involved contacting the PDP secretariat in Abuja, which denied receiving any money from the National Security Adviser or the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The PDP also denied providing campaign funds to Senator Musiliu Obanikoro for onward delivery to Fayose.
Madaki recounted offering Fayose and his associate, Abiodun Agbele, an opportunity to explain the origin of the substantial funds deposited into Spotless Investment Limited’s account, but the defendants failed to provide a satisfactory explanation.
