Abba Dabo, a political aide to former Vice President Namadi Sambo, on Thursday told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that he returned N25million paid to him by the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, for the party’s media publicity works to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Testifying as the seventh prosecution witness (PW-7) against Metuh, Dabo said he returned the money on his own volition in January 2016 due to media publications indicating that it was sourced from the $2.1billion meant for procurement of arms.
He said the N25m was paid to him through Metuh’s firm, Destra Investment Limited, on December 16, 2014, five days after former President Goodluck Jonathan and Sambo emerged as the PDP’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the party.
Dabo, a former spokesperson for ex-President Shehu Shagari, was a former editor of Sunday New Nigeria and Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo and one time deputy national chairman of the PDP (North), said he decided to return the money to the EFCC because he could not reach Metuh, who was then in the custody of the anti-graft agency.
“Unfortunately, there were reports in the media on this transaction with Chief Metuh linking it to controversial circumstances. I mean it was identified that Chief Metuh paid the N25m into my account through his company and that the source of the money was from the arms deal that was being discussed generally in the country.
“As a result of that publication, we thought we needed to explain, and because it was paid to my personal account , in my name, I decided to make a refund, and I paid it to the EFCC, because I couldn’t reach Mr. Metuh that particular time.
“The newspapers were awash with the story that linked the money given to me to the arms money that was said to have been diverted to other uses by the Office of the National Security Adviser. On my own volition, I decided that the best way out of the rigmarole was to pay back the amount. I paid it back to EFCC,” he said.
Dabo said the N25m helped to mitigate and counter negative media reports against the then Jonathan-led government and the PDP.
He said he used the money to run the Media Support System which he had set up to boost the PDP’s media profile in response to “vicious attacks” from Hausa radio stations and criticisms from the Nigerian media as well as the social media.
He said he also set up a team of facilitators and young Information Technology enthusiasts, who were active on the Internet to run a website, What’s Up Naija.
He added, “From the money we received from Chief Metuh, we paid salaries and allowances of facilitators, bought equipment and computers for the young people working on What’s Up Naija.
“We even paid that year’s rent for our office at 12B, Deb Street, Off Danube Street in Maitama, Abuja. We also used that office to monitor the election.”
Metuh and Destra Investments Limited are facing a seven-count charge of fraudulent collection of N400m from former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col Sambo Dasuki, on November 22, 2014 and money laundering involving cash transaction to the tune of $2m.
The prosecution alleged that the N400m which Metuh got from the NSA office and used for the PDP’s campaign activities was “part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity” of Dasuki
Metuh was in court on Thursday without handcuffs and the gray beard he grew during his 13 days stay in Kuje prison.
He attended his first court appearance after he met his bail conditions looking dapper in a black suit with a pair of eye glasses.
He was driven away after the court session in a Prado jeep.
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