How Obanikoro took N1.2bn cash for Ekiti election'

A star witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has testified before a Federal High Court Abuja on how the former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro took a sum of NI.2 billion cash for the election of Mr Ayo Fayose as Governor of Ekiti state in 2014.

At the last trial, Abiodun Agbele, an aide of the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, narrated how he coordinated the movement of N1.2 billion slush fund in the build-up to the Ekiti governorship election in 2014.

At the court hearing on Monday, the prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu, presented Damola Otuyalo, the former Head of Cash and Transit, Diamond Bank Plc, who gave a vivid account of how the alleged sum was moved out of the local wing of the Lagos Airport and eventually handed over to Obanikoro.

According to Otuyalo, they arranged 65 big bags known as jumbo bags, content of which was money. He said they waited for some time before they could be able to off-load the cash from the aircraft. The witness also said that his director called him on phone and asked him to hand over the cash to Mr Musiliu Obanikoro.

The EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Tony Orilade confirmed that Otuyalo identified exhibit AA13, a copy of the instruction given to him by his director to pass the money and it was admitted in evidence.

After hearing the witness, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba adjourned the case to October 4, 2019.