Emmanuel Thomas, Lagos
December 11, 2015 – Publisher THISDAY Group of Newspapers, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena has said he has never received any suspicious fund from the embattled National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, retd.
Dasuki is currently standing trial for money laundering, and diversion of over $300 million for prosecution of war on Boko Haram.
In a reply to his letter of invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Obaigbena said all the money received from the former NSA was to mitigate effects of attack on the offices of THISDAY newspapers in Abuja and Kaduna on Thursday April 26, 2012.
“All funds received from the Office of the National Security Adviser were payments for compensation to mitigate the following: 1.1. N150,000,000 + N150,000,000 and N250,000,000 respectively received in August, November and February 2014 as compensation to mitigate the dastardly Boko Haram twin bombings of the THISDAY NEWSPAPERS offices in Abuja and Kaduna on Thursday April 26, 2012, during which 4 innocent Nigerian lives were lost, our buildings destroyed and we lost full colour Goss printing towers and three (3) pre-press Computer-To-Plate and ancillary equipment and other (in)valuable property valued at over N2.5 billion. “This is aside from daily costs to pay 3rd party printers of over N1 Billion having lost our printing facility to terrorist due to inadequate protection by the Federal Government of Nigeria”, he said.
He said that the bombing of THISDAY offices followed the Abuja United Nations Building bombing for which the Federal Government has so far spent N3 Billion for reconstruction and much more earmarked for furnishing; 1.2. N100,000,000 and N20,000,000 received in March 2015 for The Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and 12 newspapers who demanded compensation for the brutal and unlawful seizure of newspapers and stoppage of circulation by armed soldiers in Abuja and several cities.
“As President of the NPAN, it was my duty to lead media leaders to hold discussions with President Goodluck Jonathan to avert a class action lawsuit against the Armed Forces and the Federal Government of Nigeria. 2. On both occasions, President Jonathan said he did not wish to lay precedence and in our case, he specifically said there were many victims of Boko Haram. I had to confront President Jonathan on the issue when I learnt of approvals for the reconstruction of the Abuja United Nations Building, since we were the second major organisation to be attacked by Boko Haram after the UN attack.
“He therefore directed me to meet the National Security Adviser who processed the 3 payments in question. Please find attached a copy of our letter to President Jonathan as well as correspondence with the then NSA on the Newspapers’ payment”, he said.
