The Task Force investigating the alleged diversion of $2.1bnmeant for arms procurement under the immediate past administration of Dr.Goodluck Jonathan has embarked on a discrete investigation into the formerMinister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, Punch reports.
It was gathered that the team of EFCC investigators hadtraced the sum of N4.75bn to the account of Silva McNamara Limited with DiamondBank with links to the family of the former minister.
A top operative of the commission, who confided in a punchcorrespondent, said that the company had two sons of the former minister on itsboard. The names of the relatives on the company’s board are Gbolahan Obanikoroand Babajide Obanikoro.
It was stated that the duo were on the board of the companytill 2014 when one Olalekan Ogunseye became the sole signatory to the company’saccount.
Investigations revealed that the funds were paid into theMcNamara account from the Central Bank of Nigeria Imprest Account of theNational Security adviser between June 6, 2014 and December, 12, 2015.
The breakdown of the lodgements of funds into the accountduring the six months period revealed that N200m was paid into the account onJune 6, 2014; N2bn on June 16, 2014; N60m on July 6, 2014 and N7, 000m on July7, 2014.
Other lodgements into the account within the period includethe payment of N1bn on July 30, 2014; N160m on August 8, 2014; N225m on August22, 2014; N200m on November, 14, 2014 and N200m on December, 5, 2014.
The source said that the commission was probing the paymentof N4.75bn to McNamara because the funds were released without any contractualevidence.
It was however stated that Obanikoro’s name was not found inthe transactions as he was not on the board of the company.
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January 31, 2016
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