A former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, who is presently in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, custody, has returned N100 million to the Nigerian government.
This amount was however, rejected by the acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, who asked the PDP chieftain to make additional refunds to the nation’s coffers.
Mr. Obanikoro, who stayed put in America after the EFCC declared him wanted for accepting more than N2billion from the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, turned himself in to the anti-graft agency on October 17 and has remained in custody ever since.
Mr. Magu, sources said, demanded that the former minister sign an undertaking to pay back N600 million within a stipulated time.
Mr. Obanikoro reportedly rejected the demands, saying he had no means of raising such an amount.
“He refused to sign the pledge, saying the money was too much”, an EFCC source disclosed.
But the source said Mr. Obanikoro, nonetheless, continued to give his cooperation to EFCC investigators.
“He had really carried himself very well since he got here, really cooperating with everyone”
Confirming the development, the Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said Sen. Obanikoro had indeed refunded the sum of N100million but the payment was being verified even as the commission was still carrying out investigations.
