Sambo
Dasuki
A bureau de change operator has
told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that
N1.5billion was paid into his account for the son of a former Minister of
Finance.
Salisu Umaru said he did not
know what the minister’s son used the cash for. The former minister and his son
were not named “so as not to jeopardize the investigation”. The cash is
believed to be part of the $2.1 billion “phoney” arms deals funds.
Also at the weekend, it was
learnt that the army has replaced one of its officers under probe for the
phoney arms deals, Col. Nicholas Ashinze, with Col. M.A. Abdullahi as the
nation’s military attaché to Germany.
Col. Ashinze is to refund
N7.3million, which was paid to him as estacode and air fares.
Salisu, who gave the EFCC
details of how the N1.5billion was wired into his company’s account, said he
never knew what the cash from the Office of the National Security Adviser
(ONSA) was meant for.
He said : “I was invited by
EFCC and when I reported, I was shown my company’s account statement with
Zenith Bank called Jabama Ada Global Nigeria Limited in which there was an
inflow of N500million on 5/2/2015 and N1billion on 16/4/2015 into the account from
the Office of the National Security Adviser.
“On the inflow of N500million
into my company’s account on 5/2/2015, I wish to state as follows : That
on the same date(5/2/2015), I paid the equivalent of US$2,380,952 to the son of
the minister, being the equivalent of the said N500million at the rate of N210
per dollar.
“I do not know what he used the
money for. My own business is to buy and sell dollars. It is only the
minister’s son that can explain what the money was meant for. The minister’s
son signed and collected the said N500 million.
“On the N1billion inflow into
my company’s account on 16/4/2015, I wish to say the money was disbursed as
follows: $1,000,000, being the equivalent of N220million; and $327,000
(equivalent of N72, 600,000) were paid cash to the son of the minister while
the sum of N704, 400,000 was transferred to various accounts based on the
instruction of the minister’s son. He gave some of the instructions through
text messages. Some of the instructions were also received from the father.
“I also want to state that I do
not know what the N1billion was meant for and what it was used for.”
Col. M.A. Abdullahi’s initial
nomination for the job was turned down by a former Chief of Army Staff,
Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah.
Gen. Minimah was said to have
favoured Col. Ashinze because he speaks German fluently.
Col. Ashinze had been ordered
by the army to refund N7.3million, including an estacode of N6million and
N1.3milion air fares.
But the embattled former
military aide to Col. Dasuki asked the army to prevail on the EFCC to lift the
restriction on his account to be able to refund the cash.
A top source said: “Ashinze has
been replaced with Col. M.A. Abdullahi as Defence Attaché to Germany because
the EFCC is yet to conclude investigation of some military officers.
“In fact, Ashinze was replaced
as soon a he was shortlisted for interrogation and before the EFCC began his
drilling.
“While in EFCC’s custody, the
military police brought the letter asking him to refund the N7.3million
allowances. He said the army should lift the ban placed on his account to
effect refund of the money.”