Musiliu Obanikoro served as Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in the immediate-past administration of Goodluck Jonathan.
In this exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES’ Samuel Ogundipe,
Mr. Obanikoro, a one-term senator and former Minister of State for
Defence, tells his own side of the story from his abode in the United
States, as Nigeria’s anti-graft officials continue their investigations
into his activities while in office, as well as those of his two sons,
Jide and Gbolahan.
You dared the government to seek your extradition in a
statement you released a day after your property was raided in Lagos,
did you do that because you’re in America or because you’re confident of
your innocence?
You know why I am laughing? Because they have trivialised government
by all those senseless propaganda that they’re perpetrating all over the
place. These people you’re talking about, they know they don’t have
anything that will withstand judicial scrutiny.
They will never attempt any extradition. I, Musiliu Olatunde
Obanikoro, am inviting EFCC to petition America to extradite me to
Nigeria. The whole world would now see their charade for what it is. It
is even good for everyone to know the truth, including those who are
sympathisers to the All Progressives Congress.
Because, in Nigeria, you’re either on this side or the other side.
But this American system is unbiased. They’re neither for me nor for
them. So, let them bring the tissue of lies that they have put together
and submit everything to serious judicial scrutiny and let us see
whether it will fly. I am inviting them to do that.
Let them tell us how APC elections were funded if it was not
government funds that they used. So why are you persecuting people that
lost election and maturely and showing respect for peace and tranquility
of Nigeria submitted themselves to the rule of law and accepted the
verdict of the people and you’re now turning around to witchhunt them?
Maybe they’re trying to tell Nigerians in advance that if they lose
elections they will not let go. And I have two good examples to show
that if the APC loses election they will never hand over, they would
rather destroy the system than hand over government to the winner. My
son was a victim in Lagos. We won elections and they refused to hand
over without blinking an eye. The councillorship election of my son and
chairmanship elections were won by the PDP and they took everything away
from them—just like that.
But, as the saying goes, the law is like a sieve, so it can’t
catch all offenders. Similarly, if you’ve done anything to breach
public trust as a minister, shouldn’t you be made to pay for your
actions in order to deter others from committing similar offence?
Mr brother, don’t let us be naive. There are petitions against
[Minister of Transport, Rotimi] Amaechi and there are petitions against
[Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Tunde] Fashola with the EFCC.
They have decided not to touch them because they are in government and
they are in APC. We are all Nigerians, are you telling me all APC
members are clean? And I am telling you authoritatively as someone who
had worked extensively in security institutions in Nigeria that
government funds at the state level were used to help APC win elections.
You see, it is unfortunate that these people will use propaganda to
destroy people unjustly. And, in this month of Ramadan, God will visit
them in his own way.
All this time they were talking about, my son, Jide, was out of
Nigeria. We have evidence to show that he was not even in the country.
We have evidence. That is why I am telling them to bring the matter to a
neutral ground where they will subject it to proper judicial scrutiny. I
am inviting them, I am begging them in the name of God. Jide was not
even near Nigeria throughout the period in question. He was here in
America when the whole funds they’re talking about were released. My
other son, Gbolahan, didn’t have access to that kind of money. Did he
work for government? How could he have that kind of funds?
Are you implying that the EFCC plucked those figures from
thin air, including bank accounts and firms said to have been linked to
your sons?
It is unfortunate that the media in Nigeria are allowing these people
to abuse them. They’re not using you, they’re abusing you. Ask them to
give you the account details —since they have decided to try this matter
in the court of public opinion. Let them publish the account numbers
publicly.
Why not go to the Corporate Affairs Commission and obtain those
documents there independently? That is why I am saying ‘let them come
and seek my extradition’ then we will see whether all the lies they’re
propagating in Nigeria will fly here.
It is one thing to use their power to intimidate judges and compel
them to do things that ordinarily they wouldn’t do. But because they’re
trying to put everybody in a cage, they will blackmail, they will
intimidate just to arrive at a desired conclusion. But luckily, God gave
me the wisdom to seek more knowledge after office, that’s why I am here
in America and not in Nigeria for them to persecute the way they’re
persecuting others.
Tell EFCC to give you all the documents of the company and account
statements from the banks. Let them publish everything in the papers.
And anywhere you see Obanikoro’s name, you should crucify me.
Neither Jide nor Gbolahan has interest in Sylvan McNamara Ltd. or knows anything about the N4.7 billion fleece?
I am volunteering to pay for the publication. Tell EFCC to make them
available then you call me, I will pay to have it published in the
papers for all Nigerians to see. Not a kobo can be traced to me nor to
my children. Not a kobo.
There’s a paper trail, this money was not just given in cash. There
were bank transactions according to them. At a time they claimed the
money was part of the $2.1 billion arms procurement funds. Now, they
have changed it that it’s from the National Security Agency’s imprest
account.
Now, assuming, but without conceding, assuming that it was from NSA’s
imprest account, does the law not allow the NSA to use its imprest as
it pleases when it comes to security? Does the law not allow that? Go
and read their release today, they said it was from the NSA imprest
account. Let me tell you, I am not defending Dasuki, he’ll defend
himself. But in terms of security parlance and the challenges we were
confronted, N4.2 billion was too insignificant against the threat that
we faced.
I worked as Minister of State for Defence and I know the meaning of imprest account, so discretion is very key in this area.
I am telling you and I am appealing to all Nigerians to also join me in asking them to seek my extradition.
Did your sons leave Nigeria because they knew the authorities were closing in on them?
My sons have really established persecution, politically. You cannot
be releasing something to the media for the past eight months and now
you’re coming out to release the same thing by yourself. Something that
you have used to destroy, to tarnish and reduce me in the public and
going to my house without a valid court order.
They claimed I have forfeited my property, how can I forfeit a
property without a due process? You see, my brother, the danger we face
in Nigeria is bigger than what all of you are admitting. I am telling
you, the danger you face in that country, if EFCC can go to a magistrate
and lie to them and get an order that someone has forfeited his
property, without a fair hearing? Without any letter inviting him to
come and explain anything? Without the judge seeking to know the other
side of the story before granting such forfeiture order? Nigeria is in a
great trouble, my brother. We are in serious trouble. This is worse
than a military era. Far worse than a military era.
I am going to petition the National Judicial Commission on the
activities of the judge. I do not have any business account anywhere in
the world. Since I don’t have any business, you cannot trace any money
to a business account. How can you forfeit someone’s sweat without
hearing from them?
Now, talking about my sons. Let me tell you, Jide went for a course
in Holland–let me tell you, I want them to come to America, I am
repeating myself– so that the two of us can have serious judicial
scrutiny. Jide went to Holland for a course in fish farming. But it is
convenient for the EFCC to go to a beer parlour shop and be speculating.
You cannot say people should not go and improve themselves when they
have interest.
Gbolahan also has a very good reason to be out of the country.
Gbolahan has a valid explanation and a genuine and honest reason to be
in America. But from what we’re seeing now, we can tell that we’re in
deep political trouble with the government of the day.
Let me tell you, I will not honour any invitation from the EFCC and
neither would I allow my children to be part of that charade.
Having gone to my house without inviting me or inviting my children.
They subjected my grandkids, my teenage kids, my wife and
daughter-in-law to this kind of embarrassment, it is evident that I
cannot get any fair hearing from them.
It is unfortunate that they would jump fences into my residence in
which there were two-year-old, three-year-old, four-year-old-children.
Every man deserves fair hearing. You must have your day in court. Now
taking that privilege away from people and not dignifying them, to me,
is not good.
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