Justice Chukujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on wednesday adjourned for further hearing in the trial of a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and his company, Spotless Investment Limited over an alleged N6.9bn fraud.
The information which is contained in a Statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC says the matter was adjourned till 20th March, 2023.
The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had on 2nd of July, 2019 re-arraigned Fayose and Spotless Investment Limited on an 11-count charge bordering on money laundering and stealing to the tune of Six Billion Nine Hundred Naira.
The defendants had first been arraigned on October 22, 2018 before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.
At the resumed sitting on Wednesday, Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Minister of State for Defence says he turned himself in at the EFCC and during cross-examination by counsel to the second defendant, Olakekan Ojo, SAN on how the sum of 2.2 billion nairas was budgeted for the 2014 Ekiti State governorship Election of Fayose from the Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, Obanikoro explained that the funds came from the NSA’s Security account to Silver Maclamaran Nigeria Limited, a company under his control.
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He however distanced himself from the operations of Silver Macmalaran, the company whose account was used to warehouse the sum of 2.2 billion nairas from the NSA’s impress account.
When asked what he knew about the fund-raising committee set up for the 2014 Ekiti State Governorship election of Fayose, Obanikoro says he was the chairman of the Committee and a lot of funds were contributed even up to the national level of the Party and mentioned two members of the fund-raising committee, T.K. Aluko, and Lateef Agbaje.
Obanikoro, who admitted being the owner of Silver Maclamaran, however, denied being a signatory to the company, he says Olalekan Olafare is signatory to the company’s account.
The case was adjourned to March 20 and 21, 2023 for the continuation of the trial.
Editor : Ena Agbanoma
