From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin

A former Edo militant leader, Henry Binidodogha, has distanced himself from recent allegations of diversion of N250 million oil pipelines surveillance contract fees. 

This came on the heels of a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) by some aggrieved Phase 3 former militants, led by Godstime Ogidigba and Don Ben.

Addressing newsmen in Benin, on  the allegations, Binidodogha challenged the petitioners to make public any agreement which connected him to them or to confirm that they worked with him.

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The former militant leader said those who worked with him on the project at Ologbo 1 and 2 were paid, to the extent that he had to give financial assistance to some others not in his team.

Binidodogha disclosed that he was actually awarded slots by Close Body Protection Ltd and added that because the job did not run the full course of its planned duration, the sum that was initially earmarked for the project was slashed considerably by 30 percent (to Edo State comprising North, South and Central senatorial districts) to the extent that after paying off interests accruing on bank loans (secured to do the contract), COT, taxes and other deductions, what was left to be shared by the  former militant leaders (including himself) was marginal.

“What we of Ijaw extraction got and shared was about N130 million. You can go and cross check,” he said and added that he judiciously shared the slots he got in compliance with directives.

He noted that most of those making what he described as wild allegations against him and the others actually played truancy throughout the duration of the contract.