Alleged N33.2billion Arms Fraud: EFCC Witness Details How NSA Funds Were Diverted For Private Purchases
Alleged N33.2billion Arms Fraud: EFCC Witness Details How NSA Funds Were Diverted For Private Purchases
On the same date, Adariku testified that N25 million was paid to Zavati BDC Limited, owned by Abdulrahman Aliu, in three tranches of N10million, N10million and N5million.
The trial of former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), over the alleged diversion of N33.2 billion arms procurement funds continued on Tuesday at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama.
This is as a prosecution witness narrated how hundreds of millions of naira were allegedly moved from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to private individuals and companies.
Testifying before Justice C.O. Agbaza, the first prosecution witness (PW1), Dr. Michael Adariku, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), gave a detailed breakdown of transactions traced to the ONSA account during the period under investigation.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Adariku told the court that on April 17, 2015, a sum of N600million was transferred from an ONSA account domiciled with Zenith Bank (Account No: 1014199287) to the UBA account of Acacia Holdings Limited.
According to him, prior to the transfer, the balance in Acacia Holdings’ account stood at just N27,094.49.
The witness further disclosed that on April 23, 2015, N60 million was transferred to Hidayatul Atfaaf Islamic Academy.
He said the proprietor of the academy, Mohammed Bashir, confirmed during EFCC interrogation that the money was part-payment for the purchase of 3.62 hectares of land located in Kyami District, opposite Centenary City along Airport Road, Abuja.
The land, he said, was acquired by the second defendant, Aminu Baba Kusa, a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), at a total cost of N120 million.
On the same date, Adariku testified that N25 million was paid to Zavati BDC Limited, owned by Abdulrahman Aliu, in three tranches of N10million, N10million and N5million.
He told the court that EFCC investigations revealed the funds were part-payment for a property known as Hospitality Property Limited, valued at N40 million.
The outstanding balance of N15 million, he said, was later paid through one Ibrahim Saleh Uba, identified as an agent and business facilitator to the second defendant.
The witness also told the court that on April 24, 2015, transfers amounting to N124 million were made from the ONSA account without any clear narration or explanation for their purpose.
According to him, further transactions on April 27, 2015, included a payment of N600,157 to the FCT administration for land-related charges, as well as N8.1 million paid to Ibrahim Saleh Uba as survey fees for beacon processing on lands allegedly purchased by the second defendant in Kwali, Wasa District, Kyami District and the Central Area of the FCT.
Adariku added that another N50 million was transferred in five tranches of N10 million each to Squad Developers Nigeria Limited, owned by Sunday Gugu.
He said Gugu, during an EFCC interview, confirmed that the money was part-payment for 118.2132 hectares of land at Stadium Layout, Kwali, Abuja, purchased by the second defendant for N75 million, with the outstanding N25 million paid through Ibrahim Saleh Uba.
The EFCC investigator further disclosed that on April 28, 2015, a total of N55,923,000 was transferred in six tranches to Fastman Investment Limited on the instruction of the second defendant. He told the court that the Chief Executive Officer of Fastman Holding Group, Farouk Suleiman, confirmed the transactions and revealed that he was contacted by the second defendant through a staff member of Heritage Bank, identified as George, to facilitate the transfer of $1 million to a client in Saudi Arabia.
According to the witness, Suleiman disclosed that only $630,000 was eventually transferred to the beneficiary, Dr. Suleiman Al-Abib of Medical Practice Services in Saudi Arabia.
The case was adjourned for the continuation of trial.
