FG SET TO ARRAIGN FEMI FANI KAYODE IN COURT FOR ALLEGED GRAFT

Barring any last hitches, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to arraign a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; a former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman; a firm, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited; and one Jimoh Yusuf for an alleged N1.5bn fraud.

The anti-graft commission will also on Wednesday arraign a former Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Waripamowei Dudafa, for an alleged N1.6bn fraud.

An impeccable source at the anti-graft agency said that Fani-Kayode, Usman and Yusuf would be charged with 17 counts bordering on money laundering and fraud.

The source added, “We have filed charges against Fani-Kayode, Usman, Yusuf and a company, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited. Yusuf was the signatory to the account of Joint Trust Dimensions Limited. They will be arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos this week.”

The EFCC had arrested Fani-Kayode and Usman for their role in the sharing of a N4bn campaign fund during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.

The money was said to have emanated from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The money was said to have been transferred to the account of JTDL and then distributed to some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Usman, who was the Director of Finance of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, was alleged to have transferred N840m into the Zenith Bank account of Fani-Kayode with account number 1004735721, domiciled in Maitama, Abuja.

Fani-Kayode was said to have received the funds in three tranches.

The first tranche of the payment, involving N350m, hit the account on February 19, 2015. Another N250m was also paid into the account on February 19, 2015, while N240m was credited to the account a month later; precisely on March 19, 2015.

Apart from Fani-Kayode, others, who also received the funds, were the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae (N100m); a former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa; while a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri, also got N350m in two tranches while Nenadi Usman took N36.9m.

A coalition of pro-Jonathan groups, headed by a former Special Adviser to the President on Political matters, Prof. Rufai Alkali, also received N320m.

The accounts of those accused of receiving funds have since been frozen by the EFCC.

Usman has returned about N23m to the EFCC while two of her properties in Abuja have been seized by the anti-graft agency.