Dasukigate: Obanikoro Dares EFCC On N4.8bn Allegedly Traced To His Sons’ Company

The immediate past Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has reacted to reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is closing in on two of his sons over an alleged curious payment of N4.8 billion from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA.

The sons are Babajide and Gbolahan, who are both directors of the company used as front for collecting the funds, our correspondent reported earlier.

Faulting the report as another vague, contrived and distorted information, the former minister challenged controversial online platform, Sahara Reporters and the EFCC to sincerely publish the names of the Directors and signatories to the alleged Silva McNamara Limited account to the public as at when the said money was paid.

Mr. Obanikoro said he was appalled by the public political persecution embarked upon by the anti-graft agency, noting that there is nowhere in the world where investigations are being conducted using the pages of the newspapers.

In a statement signed on Saturday by one of his Media Aide, Mr. Jonathan Eze, the ex-minister and former Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana queried the wisdom and logic of bandying figures and associating same with his sons, who he pointed out are thorough bred professionals in their own rights.

He reminded the EFCC and Sahara Reporters that the court of law is, and remains the judicial institution for trying cases and not whipping sentiments in order to give the dog a bad name in order to hang it.

The statement opined that Sahara Reporters is propagating these lies and propaganda because of the legal cases against it by the former minister for misleading the public and defaming his hard earned name and reputation having served the nation in various capacities with enviable untainted records of public service.

It also urged the EFCC to be straight and above board in their investigations and avoid speculations and conjectures that are infringing on the fundamental human rights of his sons.

The statement reads in parts: “Associating my sons to the Sylva McNamara account that allegedly received funds from the office of the embattled National security Adviser is highly preposterous and unthinkable.

“I am particularly amazed by the fact that trials and investigations are being done using the media unconventionally just to satisfy the cravings of political entities who are desperate to rub my hard earned reputation in the mud.

“Since the invicinble Sahara Reporters whom I have legal cases against are at the forefront of misleading the public and defaming my person, perhaps rationalizing that I would withdraw pending suits against it, I am using this medium to challenge it and the EFCC to publish in good conscience the signatories and the names of the directors of the said company and to restate that I shall conclusively pursue this injustice and infringements to a logical end”.