N4bn campaign funds: EFCC Freezes Olu Falae Firm’s Account, Detains Fani-Kayode

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has frozen the bank account of a company belonging to a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae.

It was gathered  that the account with the United Bank for Africa titled Marecco Nigeria Limited with number 1000627022, was frozen as part of investigations into the N4bn disbursed by the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.

This is just as the EFCC detained a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, on Monday for receiving N840m from the campaign funds. The ex-minister, who arrived at  the EFCC headquarters  at 9.45am was still being quizzed as of 8.40pm.

Both Falae and Fani-Kayode were accused of receiving N940m from the Director of Finance of the campaign organisation, Senator Nenadi Usman, during the build-up to the election.

The money was said to have emanated from the account of the National Security Adviser which is domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

While Falae, who was the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, collected N100m on behalf of his party, Fani-Kayode received N840m as the spokesman for the campaign organisation.

A former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, who played an advisory role in the PDP presidential campaign, was said to have given instructions that N100m should be paid to Falae.

However, both Fani-Kayode and Falae have said they never knew that the money received was government’s.

Falae had said, “It is true that N100m was given to my party to endorse and work for Jonathan candidacy in the 2015 presidential election. We used the money for that purpose and we effectively campaigned for the PDP since we did not have a presidential candidate in the election. The money was not for me.

“Thank God, I’m a retired civil servant. I have all the documents to prove all that transpired between the two parties. With all the money the PDP has and having spent 16 years in power, how would I have known that the money was from the arms deal? No reference was made to the arms deal. So, they should not bring me into the arms issue.”

Fani-Kayode had also told our correspondent that the PDP leadership gave him the impression that the money was sourced from private individuals.

He said, “I served as the director of publicity of the Jonathan campaign organisation and I was told to set up an account for the directorate, which I did. I never received money from the CBN but like all the other directors, we received money from the director of finance.

“I was assured that the funds were not public funds but were sourced from private individuals. I never knowingly spent government money all through. The money was spent specifically on the campaigns. The accounts were audited and we were commended by the President.”

Meanwhile, the EFCC has detained Fani-Kayode as investigation continues.

Sources at the EFCC told our correspondent that the sole aim of the investigation was to recover the funds.

Usman, who served as the director of finance of the campaign organisation, had returned some funds to the Federal Government and also forfeited two properties in Abuja.

A reliable source at the EFCC said, “Nenadi Usman cooperated with us and returned funds. Fani-Kayode must also do the same. We need our money back.”

Others who received parts of the N4bn include: The Goodluck Support Group headed by Prof. Rufai Alkali (N320m) while N340m was jointly received by a former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa; and a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri.

 

Credit: Punch

Olu Falae: The N100m I Got Was For SDP To Support Goodluck Jonathan

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Chief Olu Falae has stated that he collected N100 million from the ex-Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Tony Anenih.

 

 

Chief Olu Falae stated that the money was purely an inter-party affair between the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Social Democratic Party, SDP, which he is the National Chairman. He further stressed that the money was given to the SDP to campaign for the PDP in the 2015 presidential election, that both parties prior to the 2015 general elections entered into working agreement.

 

 

“In the build up to the presidential election, the PDP approached the SDP which I chaired. The then ruling party solicited for our support in order for President Goodluck Jonathan to win the March 28 presidential election”.

 

 

“Anenih related with me as the chairman of the PDP BoT and I did same as the SDP National Chairman. He wrote to me as PDP BoT chairman and I wrote back as SDP National Chairman stating conditions/terms for the alliance”.

 

 

“It is true that N100 million was given to my party to endorse and work for the Jonathan’s candidature in the 2015 election. We used the money for that purpose and we effectively campaigned for the PDP since we did not have presidential candidate in the election. The money was not for me”.

 

 

“Thank God I’m a retired civil servant. I have all the documents to prove all that transpired between the two parties.”

 

 

“With all the money PDP has and having spent 16 years in power, how would I know that the money was from the arms deal? No reference was made to the arms deal. So, they should not bring me into the arms issue. The relationship was purely interparty affairs.”

 

 

Tony Anenih, in a letter addressed to the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu had mentioned thatOlu Falae and some former governors were given N100 million each in the build up to the 2015 presidential election.

 

 

The letter also stated that Tony Anenih gave another group from Katsina State N35 million, while second republic Presidential Adviser on National Assembly, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, got N63 million. Tony Anenih had stated that the money was transferred to him on the instruction of former President, Goodluck Jonathan for specific assignments.

 

 

Credit : Breaking Times

Falae Testifies Against Abductors

The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Chief Olu Falae, yesterday appeared in court as a star witness to testify against his suspected kidnappers.
Chief Falae, while testifying at the High Court in Akure, identified some of the suspects brought before the court as his kidnappers.
He told the court that other members of the gang are still at large.
The elderstatesman was abducted on September 21, which incidentally was his 77th birthday, at his farm in Ilado, Akure.
In his testimony, the witness narrated how six of the seven suspects dragged him out of the office he built in the farm to the bush after one of them inflicted an injury on his arm with a machete.

According to him, the suspects dragged him in the forest for almost one hour and while in the deep forest asked for his wife’s phone number to discuss the ransom.
Chief Falae said: ”When one of them saw my wounds, he went to the bush to look for a leaf which he used to treat the wounds. That was how we started a journey that lasted for twelve hours.
“After 7pm, they got my wife on the phone and ordered her to go and look for N100 million as ransom before they would release me.
“One of them said my people were offering them N2 million, How could my people offer N2 million to Boko-Haram? That was when I asked them to allow me to speak to my wife and I told her to look around for money to meet their demand which I understand was N5 million at that time.”
The witness told the court that he was released on the fourth day of his abduction after payment of ransom by his family.
Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, who is the prosecuting counsel, prayed the court for an adjournment of the case.
Jegede pleaded with the court that the adjournment was to allow the prosecutors to gather all the witnesses.
He said that seven witnesses had been lined up to testify in the case.
The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice urged the court to give the case an accelerated hearing considering the interest of members of the public in the case.
The trial judge, Justice Rotimi Olumide, thereafter ordered that the suspects be remanded in Olokuta prison.
He therefore adjourned the case till December 15, for further hearing.
The suspected kidnappers are Abubakar Auta, Bello Jannu, Umaru Ibrahim, Masahudu Muhammed, Idris Lawal, Abdulkadir Umar and Babawo Kato.

 

Credit : Daily Post

Chief Olu Falae Reportedly Regains Freedom

Former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) and Afenifere chieftain, Chief Olu Falae, has been released.

Though details of his freedom is still sketchy but it was gathered that the former presidential candidate is on his way to his country home in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Chief Olu Falae was Monday kidnapped on his farm at Ilado Village in Akure North Local Government area of Ondo State.

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