Efforts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to extract information from Ojogbame Adegbe, aide-de-camp to former president Goodluck Jonathan, to disclose more information about the N10 billion he moved from the Office of the National Security Adviser for political purposes, may have met a brickwall.
A source close to the investigation said Adegbe, a colonel in the Nigerian Army, was not opening up on the money or any other issue put to him by EFCC operatives.
The source, who spoke in confidence, said that the former president’s ADC was insistent that he did his job as a loyal and professional military officer to Nigeria and the Commander-in-Chief (C-i-C), and would therefore not dabble into monetary issues.
The source said that even though his lawyer was brought before the operatives for the former ADC to make his statement, he insisted that he knew nothing about the money but did the duties assigned to him by the Nigerian Army and the C-i-C.
“The truth is that the EFCC has not been able to extract anything tangible which they hoped to use as evidence in relation to the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of $2.1 bn arms cash from the Office of the NSA, who is also standing trial,” the source said.
It was not clear, as at last night, if the EFCC would free Adegbe to return to the United Kingdom (UK) to continue his senior military training course, which he was undergoing before he was summoned by the Nigerian Army to report in Nigeria.
On his arrival in the country, he was questioned by the army and referred to the EFCC to furnish them with what he knows about the $47 million, which was allegedly moved from the NSA account with the Central Bank of Nigeria and changed into N10 billion and given to him and the SA to the President on Domestic Matters, Waripamowei Dudafa, to give to PDP delegates during the primary election that returned Jonathan as the sole PDP presidential candidate for the 2015 elections.
The reference to the N10 billion was in a statement of defence by the embattled NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, and filed in court.
Dasuki said in the statement: “That I am aware in November (I cannot remember the exact date), my office requested the CBN to exchange N10 billion from the account of the Office of National Security Adviser domiciled in CBN. The money was exchanged at $47m and some Euros which I cannot remember. The exact amount was delivered at my residence.
“The money was for delegates that attended the nomination convention for the PDP presidential nomination. The money was paid and sent to Hon. (Waripamowei) Dudafa (SSAP Household) and ADC(C-IC) for distribution on the instruction of the President.
“Based on the statement of the Director of Finance and administration (Salisu), Ibrahim Wambai, and Yazidu Ibrahim, all the cash (both foreign and local) are usually given to them for official use.”
-Vanguard