Obanikoro finally under EFCC radar

Saturday, January 30, 2016 8:54 am

Musiliu Obanikoro

Former Minister of state for defence,Musiliu Obanikoro is being probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over N4.745 billion curious transfers made into the company account of his two sons Babajide and Gbolahan in Diamond Bank.

The account number at the bank is 0026223714.

Babajide and Gbolahan, are directors of the company, named asSylvan McNamara Limited. The funds were said to have been paid into the account by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA)in tranches in 2014, coinciding with the time the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections were conducted. Obanikoro played prominent roles in the two elections.

According to The Nation, the funds could have been used to prosecute the governorship polls for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti and Osun states.

The newspaper quoting EFCC sources said N200 million was transferred into Sylvan Mc Namara’s account on June 5, 2015, while N2 billion was also wired into the account from the CBN/Imprest Main account on June 16, 2014.

Another transfer of N700 million hit the account on July 7, 2014, while N1 billion was credited to the account on July 30, 2014.

“Other transfers included N160 million on August 8, 2014; N225 million on August 22, 2014; N200 million on November 14, 2014 and N200 million on December 5, 2014.

“Both Gbolahan and Babajide Obanikoro, directors of the company, were also signatories to its account until 2014 when one Olalekan Ogunseye was made sole signatory to the account.

“The payments to the company from the office of the National Security Adviser were made without any contract.”

EFCC was reported to have made contacts with the sons of the former minister about the funds. But Obanikoro himself is out of Nigeria, holed up in the United States.