THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused a former Minister of Power, Mohammed Wakil, and others of receiving N450 million from the $115 million disbursed by then Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.
The EFCC disclosed this in a statement released by its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, on Tuesday, March 14.
According to the Commission, a Federal High Court in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Tuesday, heard how Wakil and others allegedly received N450 million to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election in Borno State.
The EFCC had, on June 18, 2019, re-arraigned Wakil alongside Garba Abacha, Ibrahim Shehu Birma, Abubakar Ali Kullima and Muhammad Baba Kachalla over the allegation.
They were accused of receiving the sum of N450 million from the $ 115 million allegedly disbursed by Alison-Madueke to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.
The defendants all denied the money laundering charges.
According to the statement, EFCC’s counsel, Mukhtar Ahmed, led the third prosecution witness, PW3, Dauda Umar, in evidence.
The witness narrated how the sum of N450 million was signed and collected in cash from Fidelity Bank by Wakil alongside the second defendant, Garba Abacha.
According to Dauda, the money was disbursed across the country.
“Dauda told the court that the first defendant availed the EFCC with the template sent from the PDP headquarters for the disbursement of the money.
“On how the money was shared, Dauda informed the court that the second defendant accompanied his principal, Wakil and witnessed the disbursement of the funds. The third defendant was invited by Wakil and collected the sum of N120,340,000.00 on behalf of Southern Borno.
“The fourth defendant, who was also invited by Wakil, signed and collected the sum of N88, 620,000.00 on behalf of Northern Borno, while the fifth defendant signed and collected the sum of N140, 860,000.00 for Borno Central.
“They all signed and collected the said amounts in cash at the residence of Wakil,” the EFCC statement said.
The presiding judge, Justice J.K. Dagat, adjourned the matter till June 14, for the continuation of trial.
A reporter with the ICIR
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