Armsgate: ThisDay owner, Obaigbena writes EFCC why he was paid N650million

By OKOSUN OKHUELEIGBE

The last has not been heard who collected the last kobo misappropriated by government functionaries and other influential Nigerians being part of the moneys voted to procure arms and ammunition for the military to prosecute the war against insurgents in the North East.

The latest bigwig, who has openly admitted collecting huge amount of money from the National Security Adviser to the former President Goodluck Jonathan, Sambo Dasuki is the Chairman of ThisDay Newspaper, Mr Nduka Obaigbena.

He was said to have written a letter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to explain why the Office of the National Security Adviser paid N670 million to his company.

According to Obaigbena, who is also the President of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) explained that part of the payment was for compensation for the bombing of ThisDay offices in Abuja and Kaduna by the Boko Haram in April 2012.

In the letter to the EFCC, Obaigbena attached a letter he wrote to former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan seeking compensation for the bombing of his company.

It was also learnt that other payments made to Obaigbena was for the compensation to newspaper companies following a crackdown on the press by the military which led to seizures and disruption of circulation of newspapers in Abuja in the wake of frequent Boko Haram attacks.

Some of the papers that filed complaints and were compensated, according to Obaigbena include “ThisDay, Vanguard, Sun, The Nation, New Telegraph, Daily Trust, People’s Daily, Leadership, Daily Independent, Tribune, Guardian and BusinessDay.”

What could not be immediately verified was if other newspaper houses that were also bombed by Boko Haram in April 2012, the same day ThisDay was attacked were paid any compensation by the government or the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

 Other newspapers attacked in their Kaduna offices were The Moment, ThisDay and The Sun Newspapers.