A pilot has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) how he flew a former Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro, with N1.299 billion cash for Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose.
Capt. Ahmed Bashir Borodo said the cash was wrapped with green military tarpaulin bags before it was loaded onto the chartered aircraft registered HS125-800 5N-BMT, owned by Gyro Air Limited.
He said the bags were so heavy that only three people could carry one at a time.
Also, the General Manager of Gyro Air Limited, Mr. Jide West, has disclosed that about $25, 200 was paid for the two chartered flights from Lagos to Akure and Akure to Abuja.
EFCC detectives grilled Borodo and West at the weekend, The Nation learnt.
The session was part of the ongoing probe of Fayose for allegedly receiving the N1.299billion slush funds from Obanikoro through his associate, Abiodun Agbele.
About N4.745billion was paid into Obanikoro’s company Sylva Mcnamara’s office by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for the 2014 Ekiti governorship.
The slush funds had been traced by EFCC to Obanikoro, Fayose, three firms and a former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Otunba Iyiola Omisore.
Borodo said he only flew the plane in line with the directive of his airline’s management.
He said: “On the 17th June 2014, I was advised around 0700 hours by my Flight Operations Department that we would be operating a chartered flight to Akure from Lagos with estimated departure time of 0830 hours.
“The client was Musiliu Obanikoro, Minister of State for Defence at that time.
“I arrived at the airport at about 0730 hours to prepare for the flight along with my colleague, Captain Olubiyi Famuyiwa and cabin attendant Uyi Okoro. Minutes later, the minister’s aides came to the aircraft with some bullion vans. They started offloading the contents, which were big green tarpaulin bags. Military bags precisely.
“The ADC to the minister was dressed in Navy uniform. This is all I can state now.”
The pilot recalled that the bags were so heavy that three people carried one. He said: “When we noticed that only about three people could carry the bags because of the weight, we told them that because of the weight, we could only take about eight to nine bags.
“The minister who had disembarked at that time from his vehicle pleaded with us but we said our aircraft was too small to carry all the bags. We loaded the bags. The minister, his ADC and a friend boarded the aircraft and we departed to Akure , Ondo State.
“ When we arrived at Akure Airport, some soldiers came and there was a bullion van as well to carry the baggage. We departed empty to Lagos on the 17/06/14. On the 18th of June 2014, we were sent from Abuja to Akure to pick Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro and take him to Abuja. He boarded without any luggage with his ADC and we proceeded to Abuja to drop him.”
West gave an insight into how the chartered flight service was procured at $25,200.
He said: “On the 15/16 of June 2014, Lt. Adewale O Eruka called me for a flight to Akure scheduled for 17th and 18th of June 2014 on the instruction of Musiliu Obanikoro. I contacted operation and the flight was carried out as detailed below: 17/6/14 – Lagos – Akure – Lagos
“I was informed that they carried the bags to Akure with some passengers as indicated in the manifest.
“On 18/6/14 , the flight was Abuja – Akure – Abuja to pick up the passengers from Akure back to Abuja. The aircraft was empty from Abuja but brought the passengers back to Abuja. Passengers as indicated in the manifest.
“The flights were paid for; $25,200 was paid for both flights and this was arranged by Lt. Adewale. The crew on the flight on both occasions were: Capt. ‘Biyi Famuyiwa whose service has been terminated by Gyro Air Ltd; Ahmed Borodo the second pilot who accompanied me to EFCC today; and Uyi Okoro the cabin crew who resigned her appointment from Gyro for further studies abroad. Resignation and termination letters attached.
”I also have a text on my phone dated 19/6/14 from Lt. Adewale detailing how payment will be made for the chartered service.”
As at press time, there were indications that some officials of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Nigeria Air Management Agency (NAMA) may appear before the EFCC, which is intensifying its probe of Fayose.
“We are likely to invite more people for interrogation,” a source said.
The EFCC at the weekend sealed off six choice duplexes belonging to Fayose, a development which has caused disquiet in the camp of the governor.
The duplexes, worth N1.350billion, include four in Lagos and two in Abuja which were bought through his associate, Abiodun Agbele and Fayose’s sister. Mrs. Moji Ladeji.
Fayose’s sister has, however, gone to the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti to file claims that one of the Abuja duplexes legally belong to her.
According to sources, preliminary investigation by the EFCC indicated that the houses were bought with slush funds, including the alleged diversion of the N1.219billion smuggled to Fayose by Obanikoro and kickback cash from contractors
Operatives of the anti-graft commission have marked the duplexes. They are: 44, Osun Crescent and 32, Yedseram Street in Maitama, Abuja as well as houses 3, 4, 6, and 9 in Plot 100, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
It was gathered that the EFCC had traced how the funds were wired to pay for the duplexes.
According to a document, while the duplex in Osun Crescent was allegedly bought for N200million from Skye Bank Plc, the one located in Yedseram Street in Abuja was purchased at N270million from a businessman, Rabi Kundili.
All the houses in Lagos were paid for by Agbele, the detained associate of the governor who is also under investigation.
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