The Dokpesi family has given a new explanation for the N2.1billion collected by their patriarch, Raymond Dokpesi from the former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

DAAR Communications, Dokpesi’s media company had said the money was payment for political campaigns.

But in a twist yesterday, the family, claiming to know much better, said the payment was for “the various media exposures and campaign transactions which were dutifully carried out based essentially on contractual obligations/relationship.”

The family also accused the Buhari government of seeking to decimate political opponents.

Dokpesi is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is investigating the disbursement of $2.2 billion budgeted for arms procurement by the Jonathan Administration.

The N2.1billion collected by Dokpesi is believed to have come from the arms budget.

Daar Communication had, in an earlier statement, said the money was payment for “the various media exposures and campaign transactions which were dutifully carried out based essentially on contractual obligations/relationship”.

The Dokpesis, however, contradicted this claim yesterday saying, in a statement signed by Raymond Dokpesi Jnr, that the N2.1billion was indeed for a proposal by Daar Investment and Holdings Company Ltd to “promote and project the achievements and highlight the challenges of his (Jonathan’s) government whilst demystifying false information gleefully circulated by the propaganda machinery of the then opposition party.”

The proposal, the family said, was submitted to the former president in person by Mr. Dokpesi and his team in the presence of former Vice President Namadi Sambo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“We must further emphasise that the proposal had absolutely nothing to do with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), nor the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).”

It also said the proposal was “thoroughly studied, approved and paid for by the presidency through the office of the National Security Adviser.”

It claimed that the office of the NSA “has multiple budgetary sub-heads including for communication and information.”

The family accused the Buhari government of embarking on a “wide scale propaganda, misinformation and brazen falsehood just to achieve its objective of decimating its perceived political opponents and supporters of the previous administration.”

It challenged government to thoroughly investigate all political and economic crimes “before embarking on a media trial and sentencing even before the law courts of Nigeria have an opportunity to adjudicate.”

The family described its patriarch as a law-abiding and consummate patriot “who has served Nigeria to the best of his ability,” adding, “for the avoidance of doubt, Dr. Dokpesi has never applied nor bided for a contract for the purchase of arms, nor has he ever been registered with the Ministry of Defence for the similar objective of engaging in the supply of arms for the government.”

* With reports from TheNation