'I Flew Obanikoro With HUGE Bags Of Money To Akure,' Says Pilot

 

Captain Ahmed Borodo, the pilot hired by a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, to transport the sum of N1.219 billion to Governor Ayodele Fayose has reportedly been grilled by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The money is believed to be part of the N4.7 billion transferred from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser to the bank account of Sylvan McNamara, a company allegedly owned by Babajide and Gbolahan Obanikoro, the ex-minister's two sons.

Borodo, according to Punch, confessed to the EFCC during interrogation last week that he flew Obanikoro on June 17, 2014 from Lagos to Akure on an HS-125 aircraft.

He was said to have also disclosed that Obanikoro's men loaded about eight big green tarpaulin bags onto the plane.

“The pilot told us that on June 17, 2014, he was instructed by his company around 7am to prepare the aircraft for an 8.30am flight from Lagos to Akure. He was informed that the client was Obanikoro. He said he along with his colleagues including one Capt. Olubiyi Famuyiwa got on the plane," the newspaper quoted a reliable EFCC investigator to have said.

“He said Obanikoro’s aides arrived at the tarmac with some bullion vans and started offloading the contents which were in big green tarpaulin bags. He informed them that the aircraft could only carry about eight or nine bags due to its small size.

“The pilot said at that point, Obanikoro intervened and began pleading with him to allow them load all the bags on the plane but he refused and then the minister, his ADC and a friend boarded the plane and the aircraft departed.”

On landing in Akure, the source, quoting borodo, said "some soldiers received them and the bags were offloaded and put into a bullion van. He noted that the plane returned empty to Lagos.

“He said that the next day, he returned to Akure and then flew Obanikoro to Abuja with his Aide-de-Camp, Lt. Adewale.”

It was also revealed that among those who received Obanikoro was Abiodun Agbele, Fayose's associate who is currently in EFCC custody.

The anti-graft agency was also said to have interrogated the General Manager of the airline, Mr. Jide West, who said Obanikoro paid $25,200 for both flights.