How Fayose Moved N1.2bn from Ekiti Airport to Akure Through Obanikoro’s Aide –Witness

Former Branch Manager of Zenith Bank Plc in Akure, Ondo State, Sunday Alade, has narrated a vivid picture of how Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti State, took receipt of a sum of N1.2billion suspected to be from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) in 2014.

Alade gave the testimony in Lagos Monday during the continuation of hearing into the N1.2bn allegedly given to Fayose by Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser (NSA).

Fayose is standing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly collecting and spending N1.2billion and $5million illegally released by the ONSA.

Led in evidence by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the prosecuting counsel, Alade recalled how he received a call from the branch’s Head of Operations mandating him to proceed to Akure Airport to receive cash from a customer.

“On the 17th of June 2014, I was in my office in Zenith Bank, Akure. I received a call from my Head of Operations Abiodun Oshodi that a customer would be coming to make deposit into his account with the bank,” he said.

“He said in order to provide security, we should arrange for van bullion to go to the airport to pick the cash. After an hour, my head of operations, Abiodun Oshodi, came and said the customer had arrived. He introduced Abiodun Agbele as the customer.”

Alade testified that he requested for more time to sort out security for the trip, but Oshodi and Agbele said they had it covered, as they had some mobile policemen and soldiers waiting in a Hilux van. He added that they arrived at the airport few minutes before an aircraft bearing the cash landed.

“Three individuals came out of the aircraft,” he said.

“Two of them walked away; the last introduced himself as O. Adewale. The cash was offloaded into the bullion van and we drove to Zenith Bank Akure.

“When all of us arrived at the bank, the money was counted in his presence. The money was counted in our presence. It was N724million. We were later informed that there was a balance, so we went back to the airport to pick it; it was N494million, brought in by another aircraft; so the total cash was N1.219billion. I gathered that the cash was lodged in three bank accounts — those of De-Privateer, Spotless Investment and Ayodele Fayose. I also understand some cash was taken away that day by Mr Agbele.”

Asked to identify the people he moved the money with, he said: “Adewale O. introduced himself as Obanikoro’s Aide-De-Camp.

“One of them resembled Obanikoro. I never met him in person. But he resembled the person I saw on television and newspapers.”

Hearing in the matter continues on May 10 and 14.