Former Senator representing Lagos Central and ex-Minister of State for Defense, Musiliu Obanikoro, told the Federal High Court in Lagos that he was made to refund between N100m and N200m to the Federal Government under duress.
Obanikoro made this statement while standing in a witness box before the court as the 12th prosecution witness in the trial of a former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose.
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Fayose and his company, Spotless Investment Limited, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged N2.2bn fraud.
Fayose has been accused by the EFCC of taking N1.2bn from a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, to pursue his governorship race.
The defendants were also alleged to have on June 17, 2014, without going through financial institutions, received $5m from Obanikoro.
Obanikoro had, in his earlier testimony, explained to the court how he transported the cash in an aircraft and delivered to Fayose in Ekiti State.
At the resumed trial on Tuesday, Obanikoro, while being cross-examined by the counsel for the second defendant, Mr Olalekan Ojo, (SAN), he narrated to the court that during the investigation of the case, he was invited by the EFCC, grilled and forced to refund N100m or N200m under duress.
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Obanikoro, also explained that after various investigations, the EFCC had found him innocent and exonerated him of any wrong doing. The ex-lawmaker expressed that since the EFCC had declared him innocent, he is expected to be paid back the money he gave out under duress.
”I was made to refund between N100m and N200m to the Federal Government under duress.”
Obanikoro stated further that he has instructed his lawyers, to write to the EFCC for the return of the money he allegedly refunded under duress.
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Photo Credit: Getty
