Alleged $5m Money Laundering: Obanikoro Ends Testimony, EFCC Calls 6th Witness

24 hours after admitting in evidence the statement of the late Justin Erukaa, the Personal Assistant to Sen Musiliu Obanikoro, a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has heard the testimony of the former Minister of State for Defence, on how Erukaa died.

Senator Obanikoro said: “Erukaa left Lagos a day before Sallah about two years ago, and the police called one of my Special Assistants that the owner of the phone just had a motor accident and died on the spot and he immediately called me and informed me.”

Obanikoro also said that he and his family attended the burial of the late Erukaa.

In an earlier testimony before the court, Obanikoro had said that he sent Erukaa on errands, including an errand to collect over $1million and that Erukaa came to meet him in Ekiti.R

The court had admitted in evidence the statement made by the late Erukaa before his death.

The monies in issue in the case were said to have originated from the Office of the former National Security Adviser (ONSA) for the purpose of prosecuting the Ekiti State Elections.

Obanikoro, however, reiterated his earlier testimony that he was not privy to any discussion between Former Governor Ayodele Fayose and the former NSA.

Mr Fayose alongside a company, Spotless Investment Ltd is on trial for allegedly receiving and keeping N1.2billion and $5million allegedly stolen from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) contrary to the Money Laundering Act.

He had, however, pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned on 11 counts in October 22, 2018.

In November 2018, the EFCC opened the case for the prosecution and subsequently called four witnesses.

In January 2018, the EFCC called Obanikoro as its fifth witness.

After his cross-examination ended today (Tuesday), Obanikoro stepped down from the witness box and subsequently the EFCC called its 6th witness, a banker, Mr Olugboyega Falae.

The EFCC had alleged that Fayose acquired a N200m property in Maitama, Abuja in the name of his elder sister, Moji Oladeji.

Falae, who works with Ecobank Nigeria, said he was a staff of Skye Bank (now Polaris Bank) when the transaction occurred.

The court admitted in evidence some of the documents involved in that transaction before adjourning until Wednesday (tomorrow) for continuation of the trial.