Admin l November 18, 2016
Nigeria – The trial of Abiodun Agbele, an aide to governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State continued on Thursday, November 17, 2016 with the EFCC first prosecution witness, PW1, Alade Oluseye Sunday, telling Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja that, it took about forty-five minutes to offload from the aircraft, the N1,219,490,000 cash sent by Musiliu Obanikoro, former minister of state for defence, to Fayose ahead of the Ekiti governorship election.
Sunday, a manager and Branch Head of the Zenith Bank Plc., Akure, made the disclosure under cross-examination by Agbele’s counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN.
It would be recalled that the PW1 had earlier testified to effect that, the disbursement of the cash, which took ten days to count was coordinated by Agbele.
According to Sunday, the cash, which was loaded in ‘Ghana-must-go’ and Diamond Bank tarpaulin bags, were delivered via an aircraft on two trips. He added that, it took not less than forty-five minutes to off-load on each occasion the money was brought.
“In fact, I, Agbele and Abiodun Oshode (Regional Manager of the bank) were practically watching while the money was being offloaded”, Sunday said.
Answering another question from the defence, the PW1 insisted that the cash was bundle-counted and confirmed to be N1,219,490.00 (one billion, two hundred and nineteen million, four hundred and ninety thousand naira).
He added that, after ascertaining the amount, Agbele, Oshode and Adewale (Obanikoro’s aide) were handed a small sheet of paper which was taken to Oshode’s office where decisions were taken on how the fund would be disbursed.
Further hearing on the case has been adjourned to January 25-27, 2017.
Agbele is facing an 11-count charge for allegedly diverting N4.6billion from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
