By Ologeh Joseph Chibu
The Federal Government paid some N4.6b to a total of 78 companies to pray for Nigeria against insecurity.
An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Kazeem Yusuf, has told a Federal Capital Territory High Court this week.
The money was paid during the era of President Goodluck Jonathan
He said the N4.6bn was transferred to the companies without any bidding and that it was unclear what manner of prayers the companies were to organise for Nigeria.
Yusuf testified in the criminal prosecution of a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda.
Yuguda is standing trial alongside Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser; Attahiru Bafarawa, ex-governor of Sokoto State; his son Sagir, and Dalhatu Investment Limited, a company owned by Bafarawa.
There 25 counts border on misappropriation, criminal breach of trust and receiving stolen property.
In 2016, Dasuki asked a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama to set him free.
Yusuf) told the Court that investigation began after a petition was received against the office of the National Security Adviser.
The EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs said “Dalhatu Investment Limited was one of the 78 companies alleged to have received money from ONSA without any documents to show that they bided for contracts.”
Yusuf said findings from UBA indicated that the company got N4.6 billion from ONSA.
The money was paid in instalments of 2014 and 2015, N783m, being part of the money, came from the SAS account.
Yusuf said “the money was meant for prayers for the country because of the insecurity prevalent at that time.”
The court was told that Abdallah Wali, a former senator, who received N580m from the company, said the money was meant for his governorship election campaign in Sokoto in 2015.
He revealed to the EFCC team that Muazu Madawaki, former Secretary of the Pilgrims and Welfare Agency in Sokoto, received N322m, which he claimed was for payment of Hajj seats for some Sokoto indigenes.
Other beneficiaries were Ibrahim Maigoma, former Sokoto chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, who received N111m; Yahaya Dada N327,549,000; Sani Kabir N159m; INEC N293,500,000, among others.
