The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has so far recovered the sum of N473million out of the N4.68billion allegedly collected by former minister of state for defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and shared to Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose and Senator Iyiola Omisore towards their 2014 governorship contests.
This was even as the Commission is set to commence the prosecution of Obanikoro, now a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to an insider source, the sum of N350 million has been recovered from Omosore out of the N1.7bn allegedly transferred to him by Obanikoro, towards his (Omisore’s) 2014 governorship contest on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State.
The Commission, according to our source, has also recovered the sum of N123 million from Obanikoro, who claimed he was only asked by the former National Security Adviser (NSA) to deliver the funds to Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose and Omisore, the 2014 PDP governorship flag bearer in Osun state.
The recovered funds are said to be part of the N4.68bn, allegedly collected by Senator Obanikoro from the office of former NSA, Sambo Dasuki in the run-up to the governorship election in Ekiti State in June 2014 and Osun State in August 2014.
Out of the N4.68bn allegedly received from the former NSA through Silva Mac Namera Limited, the sums of N1.3bn and $5m were said to have been separately given to Fayose while additional N300m was allegedly given to Omisore directly from the NSA’s office through FIMEX GUILT Nigeria Limited.
The balance of N685m, according to our source, was retained by Obanikoro out of which N123m has been recovered by the EFCC.
Daily Trust also gathered that choice properties worth N1.8bn allegedly purchased with proceeds of the funds located at Lagos and Abuja have also been recovered from Fayose and his sister Moji Ladeji.
