Court documents filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, at the Federal High Court in Ekiti have showed details of how the state governor, Ayo Fayose, received N1.2 billion from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, a retired Colonel, through former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro.

The documents, filed by EFCC’s Tosin Owobo, were made before the court in response to the governor’s application seeking to compel the anti-graft agency to unfreeze his bank account with Zenith Bank, which is joined with the EFCC as defendants.

The EFCC said it got a court order to freeze the account after receiving intelligence that it contained proceeds of crime.

According to the suit, N2.6 billion was transferred from ONSA account between June 5 and 17, 2014 to the account of Sylvan McNamara Ltd, a company whose principal signatory is Babajide Obanikoro, the former minister’s son.

“Between the 5th and 17th day of June, 2014 the former state Minister of Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro,  in grand conspiracy with the Applicant and the former National Security Adviser Col. M.S Dasuki (RTD) fraudulently removed the sum of N2,260,000,000.00 (Two Billion, Two Hundred and Sixty Million Naira) from the account of the office of National Security Adviser which sum was fraudulently transferred to a company known as SYLVAN MCNAMARA LTD with account No. 0026223714 domiciled with Diamond Bank Plc,” the document revealed.

From this amount, Obanikoro was said to have transported N1.2 billion cash by air to Akure, the Ondo State capital, through a chattered aircraft with Registration No: HS125-800 5N-BMT belonging to GYRO AIR LTD. for Fayose’s use as he prepared for election.

“On the 17th day of June, 2014 Mr. Alade Oluseye in the company of one Biodun Agbele a front of the Applicant (Fayose), went to the Akure Airport wherein they took cash delivery of the sum of N724,500,000.00 from Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and his acclaimed Aid de camp Lieutenant Colonel  A.O Adewale,” the document showed.

The next day, June 18, Oluseye was said to have collected N494.9 million from Obanikoro. On 19 June, Agbele, acting on instruction from Fayose, collected the money from Oluseye and deposited N219 million into a Zenith Bank account belonging to De-privateer Ltd. Later in the day, Agbele deposited N300 million into the same account following instructions from the governor. Four days later, the same Agbele made another lodgement of N200 million into the same De-privateer Ltd’s account with Zenith Bank.

There were similar questionable deposits allegedly made on behalf of the governor, as the court documents showed.

“On the 26th day of June,2014 the said Biodun Agbele on the instruction of Applicant further dissipated the proceeds of crime by depositing the sum of N137,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Thirty Seven Million Naira) to account No. 1003126654 domiciled with the 2nd Respondent in the name of the Applicant. Attached and marked exhibit EFCC 03 is a statement of account of the said account domiciled with the Respondent.

“On the 22nd and 27th day of August, 2014 Biodun Agbele also deposited the sum of N50, 000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) and N118, 760,000.00 (One Hundred and Eighteen Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira) respectively to the said account which sum formed part of the proceeds of crime.

“In further dissipating the proceeds of crime deposited and retained in the account referred to in paragraphs (d) and (g) above, the sum of N300,000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira) was put in a fixed deposit account No. 9013074033 in the name of the Applicant on the 7th day of April,2015,” the documents showed.

On June 17, 2014, the day Obanikoro was said to have ferried the money into Akure, and June 23, Agbele deposited N100 million and N49 million respectively into the account of Spotless Investment Ltd.

“The said Abiodun Agbele whilst acting in concert with Alade Oluseye of the 2nd Respondent and the Applicant, after fraudulently receiving the sum of N1, 219,490,000.00 (One Billion, Two Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Four Hundred and Ninety Thousand Naira) from Senator Obanikoro also fraudulently retained cash in the sum of N263, 000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Sixty Three Million Naira) on the instruction of the Applicant,” the anti-graft agency said, adding that there is a balance of N89 million in the account.

There is also N300 million left in the account of De-privateer Ltd.

It added that following interrogation of Oluseye and Lawrence Akande, the agency was given the details of how the transactions were conducted.

In addition to the Dasuki money, Fayose also allegedly collected kickbacks from contractors engaged by the state government, including Samchese Nigeria Ltd, Tender Branch Concept Nig. Ltd, Hoff Concept Ltd, and Calibre Consulting Ltd.

These gratifications were collected through Still Earth Ltd and Signachoor Nigeria Ltd, which used the money to buy properties for J.J. Technical Services Ltd, a company found to be owned by the governor and his wife.

Fayose was also said to have bought a property at No.44, Osun Crescent Maitama Abuja in the name of his sister, Moji Ladeji.

EFCC argued that it moved to suspend the governor’s account after it was satisfied that it contained stolen funds and in order to stop the funds from being further dissipated, adding that while the governor enjoys immunity as a serving governor, the funds do not enjoy same.