How EFCC traces N1.5bn to ex-minister’s son

The last has not been heard in the on-going probe into the arms deals as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has traced N1.5 billion to the son of a former Minister of Finance.

An operator of bureau de change, Salisu Umaru, who operates Jabama Ada Global Nigeria Limited, admitted that huge money was paid into his Zenith Bank account for the minister’s son but did not know what the money was meant for.

The former minister and his son were not named but the cash was believed to be part of the $2.1 billion arms deals for which the former National Security Adviser (NSA) is facing probe.

He said the money was paid into his company’s account, explaining that he never knew what the cash from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) was meant for.

He said: “I was invited by EFCC and when I reported, I was shown my company’s account statement with Zenith Bank called  Jabama Ada Global Nigeria Limited in which there was an inflow of N500million on 5^th February,  2015 and N1 billion on 16th April, 2015 into the account from the Office of the National Security Adviser.

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“On the inflow of N500million into my company’s account on 5/2/2015, I wish to state as follows: That on the same date (5/2/2015), I paid the equivalent of US $2,380,952 to the son of the minister, being the equivalent of the said N500million at the rate of N210 per dollar.

“I do not know what he used the money for. My own business is to buy and sell dollars. It is only the minister’s son that can explain what the money was meant for.

The minister’s son signed and collected the said N500million.

“On the N1billion inflow into my company’s wccount on 16/4/2015, I wish to say the money was disbursed as follows: $1,000,000, being the equivalent of N220million; and $327,000 (equivalent of N72,600,000) were paid cash to the son of the minister while the sum of N704,400,000 was transferred to various accounts based on the instruction of the
minister’s son. He gave some of the instructions through text messages. Some of the instructions were also received from the father.

“I also want to state that I do not know what the N1billion was meant for and what it was used for.”