News

EFCC returns Obanikoro’s seized N500m houses, land

Published

8 years ago

November 26, 2018

Former minster listed to witness against Fayose

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has returned three property worth about N500 million confiscated from former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, his wife and children to the minister.

National Daily gathered that the property include for terrace houses located at 44 Mamman Kotangora Crescent in Katamkpe Extension, Abuja; a parcel of land at Guzape District and a duplex at Olori Mojisola Onikoyi Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The former minister and his wife, Moroophat, had, in 2016, sued the EFCC for seizing the houses but lost as the court ruled that the EFCC had the right to seize properties of persons under investigation.

A source revealed that the red paint inscription, ‘EFCC, Keep Off!’ on the property had been wiped off on the walls of the buildings.

There are innuendoes that the EFCC may have returned Obanikoro’s property to persuade him to stand witness against former Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State who is facing prosecution by the EFCC.

Obanikoro had earlier admitted involvement in fund diversion to the funding of the governorship election in Ekiti State won by Fayose for his second term. The former minister made the revelation after he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

EFCC had earlier accused Onamikoro of receiving N4.7 billion from the Office of the National Security Adviser under the leadership of Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) in 2014 and handed over about N2.2 billion of the funds to the then governorship candidate of the PDP in Ekiti State, Governor Ayodele Fayose, while N1.3 billion was said to be given to the Osun State PDP governorship candidate, Iyiola Omisore.

Obanikoro is among the witnesses listed to testify against Fayose facing prosecution.