Former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro has on Wednesday, November 29th, 2023 revealed that N1.219 billion cash was airlifted to Ex-Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State during the 2014 election.

Obanikoro stated this while giving evidence as a witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The former minister told Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja that he received the money from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki.

Obanikoro said: “I was a minister under Jonathan’s administration. Sometime in 2014, we were going to have an election in Ekiti State. Some days before the election, I got a call from governor Fayose asking me if I received any message for him from NSA, I told him I would call him later.”

“Then I had a phone conversation with the NSA and he told me that N2.2 billion was paid into the Sylvan Mcnamara Ltd account. And I handed over the N1.219 billion cash to Mr Agbele, the bank manager for onward delivery to Fayose. I didn’t take N19 million, contrary to a publication by a Lagos based online platform.”

“On my relationship with Sylvan Mcnamara Ltd, the account was created to deal with the issue of Boko Haram in Lagos.”

“We airlifted the funds from Lagos in two tranches because the aircraft could not accommodate the funds.”

Justice Dimgba adjourned the case to February 27, 2024, for continuation of trial.

For those who don’t know, Fayose is facing trial by the EFCC alongside his company, Spotless Investment Limited over alleged involvement in N6.9 billion money laundering.