SAN FRANCISCO, July 18, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) has questioned Capt. Ahmed Bashir Borodo, a pilot, on how he flew a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, with N1.299 billion cash for Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose.
The session was part of the ongoing probe of Fayose for allegedly receiving the N1.299billion funds from Obanikoro through his associate, Abiodun Agbele, from the Office of the National Security Adviser headed by Sambo Dasuki (Dasukigate).
The funds had been traced by EFCC to Obanikoro, Fayose, three firms and a former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Otunba Iyiola Omisore, who are all under investigation.
THEWILL gathered that Borodo revealed that the cash was wrapped with green military tarpaulin bags before it was loaded onto the chartered aircraft registered HS125-800 5N-BMT, owned by Gyro Air Limited.
Borodo said he only flew the plane in line with the directive of his airline’s management adding that the bags were so heavy that only three people could carry one at a time.
“On the 17th June 2014, I was advised around 0700 hours by my Flight Operations Department that we would be operating a chartered flight to Akure from Lagos with estimated departure time of 0830 hours,” he disclosed.
“The client was Musiliu Obanikoro, Minister of State for Defence at that time.
“I arrived at the airport at about 0730 hours to prepare for the flight along with my colleague, Captain Olubiyi Famuyiwa and cabin attendant Uyi Okoro.
“Minutes later, the minister’s aides came to the aircraft with some bullion vans. They started offloading the contents, which were big green tarpaulin bags. Military bags precisely.
“When we noticed that only about three people could carry the bags because of the weight, we told them that because of the weight, we could only take about eight to nine bags.
“The minister who had disembarked at that time from his vehicle pleaded with us but we said our aircraft was too small to carry all the bags. We loaded the bags. The minister, his ADC and a friend boarded the aircraft and we departed to Akure, Ondo State.
“When we arrived at Akure Airport, some soldiers came and there was a bullion van as well to carry the baggage. We departed empty to Lagos on the 17/06/14.
“On the 18th of June 2014, we were sent from Abuja to Akure to pick Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro and take him to Abuja. He boarded without any luggage with his ADC and we proceeded to Abuja to drop him.”
Story by David Oputah
