The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has initiated a fresh probe into former Minister of Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro after he was implicated in the former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke’s poll scandal.
A source within the anti-graft agency revealed that Obanikoro, who was released on Friday night after the EFCC seized his passports, has been implicated in a N400million scam and might be invited soon by the agency for questioning.
Recall that Obanikoro’s earlier arrest by the EFCC was in connection with a slush fund to the tune of N4.7 billion which he allegedly collected from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Speaking on the latest development, a source within the EFCC disclosed that the sum was traced to Obanikoro during investigations into former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman’s case.
The EFCC source said: “As part of investigations into the billions disbursed by Nenadi Usman during the build-up to the 2015 elections, we interrogated a suspect at our office. The suspect told us that he handed over N400m to Obanikoro in the presence of some PDP members.
“So, Obanikoro will be invited to the Lagos office of the EFCC to tell his own side of the story.”
A source close to the embattled former Minister however held that the probe is baseless as Obanikoro was not in charge of the Lagos wing of the former president Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign.
The source who spoke to Punch said: “I am aware that the EFCC has interrogated the person who collected money for the Jonathan campaign organisation. However, Senator Obanikoro never collected N400m from him.
“Those who collected money at Federal Palace Hotel know themselves and they should please leave Senator Obanikoro out of it.”