N2.2bn Fraud: Fayose Arraigned By EFCC As Four Witnesses Makes Shocking Confessions


"There are withdrawal limits in every account and where withdrawals are to be made above the stipulated limits, it is reported to the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to investigate such transaction," he further stated.
 
When asked if his bank ever lodged any report of suspicious transactions on the various company accounts, he said: “We had no reason to do so."
 
Also, when asked if he told the EFCC that before the account opening of De Privateer, the sum of N200 million was lodged in the account, he answered in the affirmative.
 
When asked if he was aware that the PDP organised a fund raiser before the election and that political parties do organise fund raising, the witness said, "It is not impossible. But I don’t know."
 
Akande, who confirmed that he had not had any dealing with the account of the second defendant, also told the court that the CCTV installed in the bank usually captures customers making lodgements in the bank, except it is faulty.
 
A second prosecution witness, Abiodun Oshodi, who is the Zonal Head of the bank covering South West 2 comprising Ondo, Kwara and Ekiti, recalled some developments in 2014 in relation to the case, saying, "I received a call from my colleague (Akande) that Agbele would be coming to make some lodgments and that I should organise a bullion van.
 
"I waited for Agbele who arrived with one Sadiku and some escorts. Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, the then Minister of State for Defence, and his aide, also accompanied them. As soon as the aircraft arrived, I moved with the bullion van towards the plane to evacuate the money.

"The total sum amounted to N1.2 billion. They were lodged into accounts supplied by Agbele. Others include Spotless Nigeria Limited, De Privateer Limited as well as personal account of former governor, Fayose. Some cash were taken to Ado-Ekiti."
 
When asked to look at the deposits in the account of Spotless Limited from June 17 to Aug 4, 2014, Oshodi, who also supervises all branches in the three localities, told the court that there was a lodgment of N100 million on June 17. On June 23, there was a cash lodgement of N49 milion. On June 24, there was a cash lodgement of N200,000 while on August 4, there was a cash lodgement of N40 million.

"On same August 4, there were also cash lodgements in the sums of N35 million, N35 million, N24 million, N20 million and N14 million respectively," he added.
 
The witness told the court that Agbele made the deposit on June 17.
 
He, however, said that from the statement before him, the depositor's name on August 4 was given as Ayo.
 
A third prosecution witness, Olaitan Fajuyitan, a banker in Diamond Bank, told the court about the involvement of the bank in the transaction, saying , "We received payment instructions on June 16, 2014 to pay cash of N1.2bn. We then moved the funds to CITS account. On the same process on June 17, 2014, we paid N200 millon."
 
The account details, account statement and instructions were tendered and admitted as exhibit E.
 
He confirmed to court that the money was legitimate, since it was received from the Office of the National Security Adviser NSA, through the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
 
PW3 mentioned the beneficiaries of disbursement funds as: Santuraki Bello( N200m); Yusuf Ulama (N120m); Chmenun Injoku( N250m); Josaha Moses( N250m); Abubaka Sodiq Zanna (N200m) and Franklin Tolani (N150m), respectively.
 
Also, the fourth prosecution witness, PW4, Damola Otuyemo, Head, Cash in Transit in Service, Diamond Bank, said his duties involved evacuating cash from a bank that has surplus and supplying banks that do not have enough.
 
He said on June 16, 2014, his Director, Premier Oiwoh, informed him that they needed to pay a sum of N1.2bn cash to a customer, and that he should get the cash ready.
 
He said because the beneficiaries were not available to pay the cash to, he was told by his Director to move the cash to the airport.
 
He said: "We had to contact a company that operates bullion vans and moved the cash to the Muritala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos .

"On getting to the Airport, we could not have access to enter. So, my Director spoke to Gbolahan Obanikoro, who was described as the person that could help us to proccess the pass. He did and we then entered. After, this Musilu Obanikoro was phoned and the cash was handed over to him. Obanikoro told me not to evacute the cash because it had to be loaded in aircraft", he said
 
Giving further evidence, he said: "The whole cash was moved into the aircraft and they left the airport.

"We did not see the six beneficiaries. We released the cash to Mr Musilu Obanikoro, having been identified by my Director. It was Obanikoro who signed for the money. On June 17, 2014, my Director called me and instructed that I pay a sum of N200m to Malik Bauchi. He said we should waive identification.

"But because the amount was too much, we did not waive the identification, and the money was paid to Obanikoro. They used a cash bag called "jumbo bags" to pack N1.2bn and Ghana- must-go bags to pack N200m. The cash was handed over to Musliu Obanikoro".
 
Justice Olatoregun adjourned the matter to January 21 and 28, 2019 for continuation of trial.

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