Jonathan campaign funds: EFCC probes N4b deposits in ex-minister’s account

– Investigators of the EFCC have discovered how N4 billion was transferred for the re-election bid of former president Goodluck Jonathan

– The fund was channelled through the mysterious account operated by Nenadi Usman, Jonathan’s campaign director

– Usman was said to have demanded for $400,000 from the office of the national security adviser to bribe INEC officials in the north

Nenadi Usman was arrested by official of the EFCC on Thursday, April 21

Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC) have said that about N4 billion was transferred through the mysterious account operated by Nenadi Usman, the former campaign director to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan.

The said amount was transferred through “Joint Trust Dimensions Nigeria Limited” for the re-election campaign of the former president, The Nation reports.

Usman and three others were arrested and detained by the anti-graft agency on Thursday, April 21 for receiving the sum of N2.5 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“Mrs Usman was asked to report in our Lagos office so as to be able to secure a remand warrant which will assist us to interact with her.

“There are many issues which she ought to respond to but there is a subsisting directive given to FCT courts to stop granting remand warrant to EFCC. If the anti-graft agency does not detain for  a while, the ongoing investigation will be disrupted.

“The EFCC is not after perpetual detention but it needs time to dig into facts available to it. For instance, the account provided by Nenadi Usman had over N4 billion from different depositors, including individuals and organisations.  The list of those who made funds available ought to be screened by the EFCC,” a reliable source said.

READ ALSO: PMB, world leaders agree international sanctions on looters

Usman who was a former lawmaker was said to have allegedly collected $400,000 (over N120 million) from the office of the national security adviser (ONSA) to alter the results of the presidential election from Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Adamawa, Gombe and Kano.

It was learnt that the ex-minister diverted the cash into personal commitments instead of using it to bribe officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to falsify the results.

All attempts by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan to retrieve the money from the former minister before the May 29, 2015 handover date failed.

Usman to have been jittery on March 29, last year on the outcome of the presidential election. She rushed down to the Presidential Villa for what she regarded as an “urgent electoral rescue matter.”

It was learnt that she demanded for the $400,000 (over N120 million) from the Presidency to bribe electoral officers in the northeast and northwest.

READ ALSO: EFCC trace millions to Jonathan’s men

“The more we dig into the mismanagement of the $2.1 billion arms deals, the more fresh facts are revealed. You can see an individual collecting N120 million to bribe INEC officers.

“Moves by the government of Jonathan to retrieve the cash from the ex-minister before the handover date failed. When the pressure was much, she said she had used it to assist a governorship candidate in the APC who was in need.

“Besides the N120 million, the ex-minister was also involved in the misuse of public funds for campaign. She is being investigated by the EFCC.

“But she has to cough out this N120 million before we move into how public funds were diverted to campaign,” the EFCC source said.

Meanwhile, an EFCC source revealed Usman had returned N23 million to the federal government.

The post Jonathan campaign funds: EFCC probes N4b deposits in ex-minister’s account appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read on NAIJ.COM.