A former minister of state for defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has testified against former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who is facing charges of laundering N6.9 billion.
Fayose was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 22, 2018, alongside a company, Spotless Investment Ltd., on 11 counts charge.
He had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of N50 million with one surety in like sum by the court.
EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, was in court, while Messrs Kanu Agabi and Olalekan Ojo represented Fayose and his company respectively.
While being led in evidence, Mr Jacobs asked Obanikoro where he was in 2014.
In his response, he told the court that as at that time, he was the minister of state for defence.
He was then asked to tell the court what he knew in relations to the instant case.
In his response, Obanikoro told the court that in June 2014, close to the Ekiti State governorship election, he received a call from Fayose, inquiring if there was any message for him from the then National Security Adviser, (NSA), Sambo Dasuki.
Obanikoro said he replied there was none, but had promised to check with the NSA and revert back, adding that eventually, the NSA confirmed to him that he had a “message” for Fayose and that the funds would be made available.
The prosecutor then showed the witness exhibit ‘E’ to confirm if it was the account in which the fund were transferred and he replied ‘Yes.’
Looking at the exhibit, he told the court that on June 13 and 16, there were monetary postings into the account, which was from the impressed account of the NSA.
According to Obankoro, the money was eventually brought in a bullion van to the private wing of the Ikeja Airport, where one Agbele sent by Fayose, was already on standby, adding that after confirmation from Fayose, the money was airlifted to Ekiti.
Obanikoro further told the court that afterwards, he went to Ado-Ekiti to meet Fayose in his Hotel known as Spotless, and that there, he handed him the dollar content which amounted to five million dollars.
The court adjourned the trial until February 4, 5 and 6 for cross-examination.
