Lukman Olabiyi
A former Group General Manager (GM) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC in charge of Crude Oil Marketing has revealed the circumstances in which he delivered $70 million to an Abuja-based banker.
The former GM of NNPC revealed this while testifying before the Federal High Court, Lagos in the going trial of a former Executive Director, First Bank Plc, Dauda Lawal.
The NNPC top shot who testified as an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, disclosed that he delivered 12 padlocked bags containing $70 million to an Abuja-based banker on the instructions of a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke.
According to him, the banker took delivery of the package from him in the front of a popular supermarket in Abuja.
The defendant, Lawal was docked before the court by the anti-graft agency on money laundering charges.
The former bank boss was specifically accused of handling $25 million out of a total of $153 million, which Mrs. Alison-Madueke allegedly doled out for the 2015 general elections.
The ex-NNPC GM, while being led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, alleged that shortly before the 2015 elections, “it was the norm for heads of subsidiaries (of the NNPC) to be invited for undisclosed briefing of activities of their departments to the minister. At the end of such briefings, the then Mninster of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, gave me a GSM number in respect of one Charles, whom I had never met, with a clear instruction that I should convey 12 padlocked bags to him.
“My Lord, the source, the content and the purpose of the bags were not disclosed to me. Thereafter, I called the said Charles, who equally confirmed to me that he had been briefed about the message. I delivered the bags to Charles.
“Much later, My Lord, the EFCC invited me for interrogation on the issue and I made a statement to that effect. Charles equally confirmed at the EFCC that he received the 12 padlocked bags and the bags contained the sum of $70 million.”
When asked by the prosecutor to describe the kind of relationship he and others had with Diezani, the witness said, “We had a command-and-obey relationship and also took an oath of office to obey directives and authority.”
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN), the witness said he had never met Lawal before.
The trial judge, Justice Muslim Hassan adjourned till July 21, 22 and 23 for continuation of trial.