Former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, and 21 other witnesses will testify against immediate past Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) begins his trial on Monday.
Mr Fayose will be arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday (today) for an alleged fraud of N2.2bn.
The EFCC alleged that Fayose took possession of the money “to fund your 2014 gubernatorial campaign in Ekiti State, which you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust/stealing.”
Former Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc, Alex Otti, and one Ayotunde Owope, said to be Fayose’s account officer, will also testify against the former governor.
According to the EFCC, Owope opened a bank account for Fayose and “he will give evidence on how funds were transferred from one account into another.”
Obanikoro, who was listed as the second witness, is expected to testify about how he took N2.2bn from the then National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, for onward delivery to Fayose in June 2014.
The ex-minister is to narrate to the court how Fayose allegedly requested that out of the N2.2bn, N1.2bn should be delivered to him in cash while the remaining N800m should be converted to US dollars.
After arraigning Fayose, the EFCC is expected to start calling its witnesses.
Fayose will be standing trial alongside a firm, Spotless Limited.
