Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose
It might be serious trouble for Captain Ahmed Borodo, the pilot
whose plane was allegedly chartered by a former Minister of State for
Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, to transport N1.219bn to Governor
Ayodele Fayose.
According to an EFCC source, Borodo who was quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has confessed.
The money was alleged to be part of the N4.7bn transferred from the
account of the Office of the National Security Adviser to the bank
account of Sylvan McNamara, a company allegedly owned by Obanikoro’s two
sons - Babajide and Gbolahan.
Borodo who was interrogated lastweek was said to have told
detectives that he flew Obanikoro on June 17, 2014 from Lagos to Akure
on an HS-125 aircraft.
Punch reports that the pilot admitted that about eight big green
tarpaulin or military bags were loaded onto the plane by Obanikoro’s
men. He said at a point, he had to complain to the former minister that
the aircraft was too small and thus could not carry too much weight.
An investigator said, “The pilot told us that on June 17, 2014,
he was instructed by his company around 7am to prepare the aircraft for
an 8.30am flight from Lagos to Akure. He was informed that the client
was Obanikoro. He said he along with his colleagues including one Capt.
Olubiyi Famuyiwa got on the plane.
“He said Obanikoro’s aides arrived at the tarmac with some
bullion vans and started offloading the contents which were in big green
tarpaulin bags. He informed them that the aircraft could only carry
about eight or nine bags due to its small size.
“The pilot said at that point, Obanikoro intervened and began
pleading with him to allow them load all the bags on the plane but he
refused and then the minister, his ADC and a friend boarded the plane
and the aircraft departed.”
Borodo was said to have flown the aircraft to Akure where a bullion
van from Zenith Bank and some soldiers welcomed Obanikoro and received
the money.
Further investigations revealed that Fayose’s friend, Abiodun
Agbele, who is currently in the EFCC custody, was among those who
received Obanikoro.
The detective added, “The pilot said on getting to the Akure
airport, some soldiers received them and the bags were offloaded and put
into a bullion van. He noted that the plane returned empty to Lagos.
“He said that the next day, he returned to Akure and then flew Obanikoro to Abuja with his Aide-de-Camp, Lt. Adewale.”
The commission also interrogated the General Manager of the
airline, Mr. Jide West, who told the EFCC that Obanikoro paid $25,200
for both flights.
