FRESH facts emerged yesterday on how former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki (rtd) gave $40 million to Aziboala Roberts, cousin of former president Goodluck Jonathan for an alleged business deal.
Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), F.A. Jirbo said in a statement yesterday that Dasuki paid $40 million to Roberts in September 2014 to supply “tactical communication kits.”
Roberts is being held by the EFCC, depsite a court order for his release. Jirbo said the mandate form from Dasuki revealed that the money was wired from the Citibank N.A. Canada Square Canary, Canada, into the Zenith Bank Plc account of Oneplus Holdings Ltd, Robert’s company.
On December 8, 2014, the EFCC said Robert re- ceived another N650 million from Dasuki.
The EFCC added that the second suspect, Dakoru Atukpa, who is also executive director, projects, at Oneplus, claimed to have used the funds for demo- bilisation of pipeline vandals, peace-building initia- tives and easing of oil production through the NNPC LNG projects in Olokola and Brass in 2014.
Chris Uche, counsel to the applicant, however, said EFCC’s failure to release his clients is “a blatant dis- respect and disobedience of the court’s order.”
Three weeks ago, the family of Robert Azibaola, accused the EFCC of disobeying a Federal High Court order which granted him bail.
Azibaola, who has been in the EFCC custody since March 23 is being investigated by the commission over his alleged involvement in the diversion of a N40 million oil pipeline security contract through One-Plus Holdings, a sister company of Kakatar Con- struction Limited.
Azibaola allegedly recieved payment for the con- tract from Col. Dasuki. Worried by his continued incarceration, Azibaola had approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for the enforcement of his fundamental human right. Ruling on the application, Justice Olasunbor held that Robert’s detention by the EFCC for over two weeks was unconstitutional.