Chief Tony Anenih
Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman, Tony Anenih has explained how he disbursed the N260 million paid into his bank account from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) believes the cash came from the allegedly misappropriated $2.1 billion arms funds.
It would be recalled that one of the charges against former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki and a former Director of Finance and Administration this office, Shaibu Salisu, was the transfer of N260million to Anenih.
The charge read: “That you Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki whilst being National Security Adviser and Shaibu Salisu, whilst being the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on or about 28th November 2014 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacities entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit: the sum of N260million being part of the funds in the account of the ONSA with Skye Bank Plc committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you transferred same to the bank account of Tony Anenih with First Bank of Nigeria Plc and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol.4, LFN 2004.”
But has Anenih written the EFCC to state, among others, that he gave N63 million to a group coordinated by a former Special Assistant to former President Shehu Shagari (National Assembly Liaison), Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, for the 2015 presidential election.
Yakassai may be invited for interrogation over the “curious” payment, The Nation learnt yesterday.
Anenih was said to have told EFCC that he didn’t benefit from the money, but that he followed instructions on how to share the money.
According to The Nation a highly-placed source in EFCC said: “Chief Tony Anenih has written the EFCC on how he disbursed N260million from ONSA to various groups including a team being coordinated by Tanko Yakassai.
“Anenih specifically indicated in the letter that N63million was given to Yakassai’s group. He mentioned a few others whose identities we will not disclose until our investigation has reached an appreciable stage.
“We will unveil the names of all the beneficiaries of the N260million soon. But we are at a level that we need to invite Yakassai to shed more light on why his group was allocated N63million arms funds.”
The source also added: “Besides the letter, we will invite Anenih to make a Statement on Oath and for interrogation.”
It would also be recalled that shortly before Olisa Metuh, PDP spokesperson was arrested, the EFCC claimed that a company traced to Metuh, Destra Investment Limited had remitted about N21,776,000 on 4 December 2014 to an account allegedly belonging to a former Minister of Works, Chief Tony Anenih and N31.5million to his media aide.
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