The Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday discharged former
Minister of State for Defence Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as a
witness in the trial of former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose.
Obanikoro testified as the fifth witness of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Under cross examination by counsel for Spotless Limited,
Fayose’s co-accused, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN), Obanikoro said there
was no documentary evidence to back up all he said in court.
Ojo asked him: “Did you produce any evidence to back any of your
assertions before this court?”
Obanikoro answered: “No.”
Ojo asked the former minister about his late personal assistant
Justin Erukaa, whose statement made during investigation was
earlier admitted in evidence.
The witness said: “Erukaa left Lagos a day before Salah about
two years ago.
“The Police called one of my special assistants saying the owner
of the phone died on the spot in a motor accident. My PA
immediately called me.”
After Ojo said he had no further questions for Obanikoro,
prosecuting counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) called the sixth
prosecuting witness (PW6), Mr. Olugboyega Omotayo Falae, a
banker.
The EFCC had alleged Fayose acquired a property on 44, Osun
Crescent, Maitama, Abuja in the name of his elder sister, Moji
Oladeji, with N200million.
Falae, who works with Ecobank Nigeria, said he was a staff of
Skye Bank (now Polaris Bank) when the transaction occurred.
He said as head of the estate support department, he knew about
how the property came to be sold.
According to him, the bank occasionally disposes of some
properties “that are in excess of its requirements.”
He said the Osun Crescent property was one of those the bank
decided to dispose of.
Falae said once the bank’s management gave approval, a list of
properties was given to agents who would source for buyers.
He said the bank got offers, including one from one Mrs.
Titiloye Orebiyi.
“Eventually we agreed on N200million for the property. The
documents of the transaction were submitted to the EFCC.
“On April 20, 2015, we wrote an internal memo and a letter of
acceptance to the Managing Director of Signature Integrated Ltd
(Mrs Orebiyi) accepting their N200million offer and indicating
which bank account to pay to,” he said.
The court admitted some of the transaction documents in
evidence.
Fayose is on trial for allegedly receiving and keeping
N1.2billion and $5million allegedly stolen from the Office of
National Security Adviser (ONSA) contrary to the Money Laundering
Act.
He pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned on an 11-count
charge last October 22.
EFCC said Fayose and Biodun Agbele, who is facing a different
charge, allegedly took possession of N1, 219,000, 000 on June 17,
2014 to fund the former governor’s 2014 gubernatorial campaign.
The commission said Fayose “reasonably ought to have known” that
the money “formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit:
criminal breach of trust/stealing.”
EFCC said Fayose, on the same day, received cash payment of
$5million from Obanikoro, without going through a financial
institution, the sum having exceeded the amount authorised by
law.
Fayose pleaded not guilty.
Trial continues tomorrow.
Read more obanikoro-ends-evidence-against-fayose/
Sheikh Sulaiman: Kidnappers of Buhari’s Prayer-Warrior
Demand N300m Ransom
… Kidnapped Scholar Prayed for Buhari’s Re-Election at
Rallies
The kidnappers of a famous Islamic scholar and prominent reciter
of the Holy Quran, Sheikh Ahmad Sulaiman have demanded for a ransom
of three hundred million Naira before his release.
PRNigeria gathered that the abducted Sheikh Suleiman, a
prayer-warrior and fanatical supporter of President Buhari had
offered prayers for the re-election bid of Mr. President at some
political rallies organised by All Progressives Congress (APC), in
the build to the 2019 general elections.
The Islamic Scholar was returning to his base in Kano, after
attending a religious function in Kebbi State when they were
abducted.
However, in an audio clip obtained by PRNigeria, the kidnappers
are demanding a colossal sum of three hundred million Naira as
ransom, before releasing the revered cleric from their hideout.
The supposed ringleader of the abduction gang, spoke in Hausa,
with a close associate of the kidnapped Quranic reciter, saying
they were mandated by an influential politician to abduct and kill
Sheikh Sulaiman, who their sponsor allegedly claimed is a
terrorist.
“However, after taking a close observation, we noticed that our
victim has no semblance to a terrorist. We discovered that he is
rather a God-fearing Muslim and very knowledgeable preacher. We
also interrogated him, and he told us everything about himself,”
the kidnapper told the reciter’s sympathizer, in the nine-minute
telephone chat.
When asked by his caller what they should offer for the speedy
release of the notable Islamic teacher, the Hausa-speaking gang
leader with Fulani’s accent, said they were never interested in
carrying out the murderous assignment, in the first place.
“But it will be unfair that we fritter the three hundred million
naira the politician gave us without executing his work,” he said,
adding that, “So, we are intending to give him back his money since
we may not be able to do his bidding. And again, we will also
express our displeasure to him for wrongly accusing the Sheikh to
be an insurgent, when in reality, he wasn’t.
“But in the meantime, you (his people) should first raise the
three hundred million we will return back to the politician. And
then, you will also give us money for fueling the vehicle we used
to convey him to Kebbi.
“But if you people cannot raise the money we demanded, we will
not hesitate to eliminate Mallam, and collect the additional sum
the politician promised us if we should kill him.”
Katsina is becoming a den for kidnappers as there is hardly a
day without a reported case(s) of kidnapping in the state.
PRNigeria gathered that kidnapping cases have been reported in
most local government areas of Katsina State especially in Jibia,
Dandume, Faskari, Sabuwa, Danmusa, Safana, Kankara, Batsari,
Dutsinma, Kurfi, Funtua and Katsina metropolis.
While many of the abductions were not reported for undisclosed
reasons, the recent reported kidnapping cases included that of a
group of Islamic caregivers of about 20 members of First Aid Group
who were abducted in Jibia and that of an 80-year-old Mother-in-Law
to Governor Aminu Masari who was abducted at her Dandume Crescent,
Sabon Gari area of Katsina metropolis.
Early in the year, Governor Aminu Bello Masari has blamed the
continued kidnapping and other heinous crime on informants who
support the bandits saying Katsina State is under kidnappers’
siege.
He said the daily security reports reaching him indicate that no
day passes without a reported case of kidnappings, armed robbery
and cattle rustling.
According to him, “Kidnappings, cattle rustling and armed
robbery are now the order of the day in Katsina. Informants have
made it difficult for security agencies in the state to operate
effectively.”
By PRNigeria