A former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, his wife and children have recovered three properties worth about N500m from the Ec
A former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, his wife and children have recovered three properties worth about N500m from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The properties include four terrace houses located at 44 Mamman Kotangora Crescent in the highbrow Katamkpe Extension area of Abuja; a parcel of land in Guzape District and a duplex at Olori Mojisola Onikoyi Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos. The properties which had red paint inscription, ‘EFCC, Keep Off!’ had been wiped off on the walls of the buildings.
Obanikoro, who defected to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party about a year ago, was under investigation along with his two sons for alleged money laundering. The ex-minister was accused of receiving N4.7bn from the Office of the National Security Adviser under the leadership of Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) in 2014.About N2.2bn out of the funds was allegedly handed over to the then governorship candidate of the PDP in Ekiti State, Governor Ayodele Fayose, while N1.3bn was said to have been given to the then Osun State governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
Obanikoro has, however, been converted to a prosecution witness and is expected to testify against Fayose who he allegedly handed part of the money to. The ex-minister and his wife, Moroophat, had, in 2016, sued the EFCC for seizing the houses but lost as the court ruled that the EFCC had the right to seize properties of persons under investigation. An FCT High Court sitting in Jabi had ordered the forfeiture of her property pending the outcome of investigations into her husband and children.The court also rejected a prayer asking that the EFCC pay her the sum of N200m for violating her fundamental human rights.
Obanikoro’s wife had argued that she bought the property over seven years before the alleged arms scam took place. However, in an affidavit deposed to by one Jackson Edet, the EFCC claimed that Obanikoro’s wife could not claim to be ignorant of her husband’s alleged crime.
