Obanikoro Run Off To US As Fayose’s Court Case Begins

Former Minister of State for Defence, Musliu Obanikoro has flee to the United States, a few days before the court case of Former Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose is set to commence.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC had listed Obanikoro, as one of the witness to testify against Fayose who received about N1.3bn from Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), the then National Security Adviser.

Obanikoro departed Nigeria on Wednesday for Medical treatment with no information about when he was going to return.

A former Minister of State for Defence, Obanikoro, traveled shortly after he retrieved his passports from the EFCC.

This is despite a directive by the Federal Government that 50 persons under investigations for fraud exceeding N50m are restricted from travelling.

Obanikoro, who has an American passport and a Nigerian one, reportedly met certain conditions before his passports were returned to him.

Obanikoro has been under investigation since 2016 for allegedly receiving N4.7bn from the embattled former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), in 2014.

The former minister allegedly handed over about N1.3bn to former Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and another N1.3bn to the then Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Osun State in 2014, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

After Fayose was arrested by the EFCC last Tuesday, however, it was learnt that Obanikoro traveled to the US.

The former minister, who has defected to the All Progressives Congress, had declared his intention to run for the Lagos West senatorial district election but shelved his ambition at the last minute.