The former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, on Thursday admitted he was paid N400 million through the office of the National Security Adviser.
Out of the N400 million, Metuh gave the former Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, N21m for the use of a centre in Asokoro District of Abuja.
Metuh disclosed this through one of his aides, Richard Ihediwa, at the ongoing trial of Metuh over allegations of N400 million fraud brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Metuh is being tried by Justice Abang Okon of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Ihediwa, who testified as the defence witness, said the payment was made to Anenih as rent to enable consultants, professors, economists, media experts and other experts that were hired by Metuh use the Centre as an operational office to execute media advocacy projects given to him by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said the Centre, located along Samora Machel Street, Asokoro, provided the media advocacy project with communication equipment, vehicles and security gadgets.
Ihediwa further told the court that following the prediction of some foreign countries that Nigeria would disintegrate in 2015, there were a lot of materials in the media which created fear in the minds of the public amid heightened terrorist attacks in the country.
The witness said it was during this tense situation Metuh presented a media campaign proposal to former President Jonathan who accepted it and directed other teams that were working on similar projects to collapse into the one so that through his team, those components could be implemented.
He said: “At this point, he (Jonathan) said he was going to make funds available for the project and said the project was of great importance to the nation and asked that we should all take it seriously.”
Ihediwa stated that Jonathan requested the first defendant to provide a corporate account so that he could forward the money for the project.
Ihediwa further disclosed that a Diamond Bank official confirmed on phone that Destra Venture Limited, the second respondent’s bank account, has been credited with the sum.