5.3 C
New York
Friday, March 29, 2024

NSA Contractor Charged To Court For Alleged N2.4 Billion Money Laundering

Must read

Olugbenga Obadina, a security contractor, has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, at a federal high court on an eight-count charge of corruption and money laundering in N2.4 billion contracts under the office of the national security advisor, NSA.

Obadina and his company, Almond Projects Limited as was charged before the court presided over by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba on Friday, 15th July 2016, according to an EFCC press statement e-mailed to The Trent.

Mr. Obadina was alleged to have collected the sum of N2,417,000,000.00 (two million four hundred and seventeen million naira) from the account of the office of the NSA when embattled Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) was at the helm of affairs.

The said amounts were allegedly collected in tranches between 2013 and 2015. According to the EFCC charge sheet, the money was collected without any contract awarded or executed.

The charges read were:

That you, Olugbenga Obadina and Almond Projects Ltd on the 6th of February, 2015  in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court directly took possession or control of the sum of N510, 000, 000.00 (Five Hundred and Ten Million Naira) only paid into the account of Almond Projects Ltd with Zenith Bank Plc Account No: 1010921116 from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria without contract award when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) the then National Security Adviser (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2), (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

That you, Olugbenga Obadina and Almond Projects Limited on the 3rd of April, 2014 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court directly took possession or control of the sum of N648,000,000.00 (Six Hundred and Forty Eight Million Naira) only paid into the account of Almond Projects Ltd with Zenith Bank Plc Account No: 1010921116 from the account of the office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria without contract award when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) the then National Security Adviser (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2), (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

Olugbenga Obadina pleaded not guilty causing the counsel to EFCC, Aso Larry Peters to ask for a date for trial. Mr. Peters also urged the court to hold the accused in prison custody.

The prosecuting counsel told the court that Mr. Obadina had refused to co-operate with the commission during the investigation, and that “his profile had not been taken”.

More articles

- Advertisement -The Fast Track to Earning Income as a Publisher
- Advertisement -The Fast Track to Earning Income as a Publisher
- Advertisement -Top 20 Blogs Lifestyle

Latest article