A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told Justice Okon Abang of Federal High Court, Abuja that he refunded the N25 million the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh gave him for publicity work for the party.
Alhaji Abba Dabo, the witness, an ex-aide to former Vice President Namadi Sambo, testifying before the court in the seven-count charge of money laundering and fraudulent receipt of N400m meant for procurement of arms from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) against Metuh, said he decided to return the money when he realised that it was part of the funds meant for the purchase of arms to fight Boko Haram insurgents by the Federal Government.
According to him, when he read about the arms deal scandal in some national dailies which involved the PDP spokesman, he immediately wrote a letter to the EFCC, attaching three bank drafts, with a covering letter acknowledging that Metuh paid him N25m on December 16, 2015 for the purpose of publicity for the former ruling party by his companies, WhatsApp Naija and Media Support System.
He admitted that he did not make any other statement to the EFCC after he returned the money and did not ask Metuh about the source of the money before and after he returned it.
“I was only helping him (Metuh) to discharge his obligations as the national publicity secretary of the PDP,” he said.
He added that he performed the functions for which he was paid the N25m.
Dabo said he has not been able to ask Metuh about the source of the money till now as efforts to meet face to face with him proved abortive.