Metuh in fresh $2m mess as Badeh remains in EFCC

ANOTHER witness, a detective at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Junaid Sa’aid, yesterday testified against the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, to the effect that the politician might have collected an additional $2 million from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) when Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) was in charge.

Sa’aid, being the eighth prosecution witness since the commencement of Metuh’s investigation for alleged involvement in the $2.1 billion arms deal, said the amount was suspected to have been taken from the N10 billion withdrawn by Dasuki for PDP convention for which a fresh charge would be preferred against Dasuki soon.

The witness, however, told the court that he had no substantive evidence to show that Metuh actually collected the money. Rather, his assumption was based on the fact that four days after the said sum of N10 billion was withdrawn by Dasuki and converted into $47 million, one Nneka Ararume brought $2 million to invest in IRM, a financial institution. Sa’aid also corroborated earlier witnesses that Metuh might have collected N400 million from Dasuki, adding that about N50 million out of the N400 million was converted to his personal use.

According to Sa’aid, who was testifying before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Metuh used part of the money to buy property at Banana Island, Lagos.

His words: “Investigation revealed that after payment of N400 million by the Office of NSA, a total sum of N366 million was paid into the same account by one Kabiru Ibrahim. Capital Field Investment Limited also paid in N91million and one Eyitonye paid in N82 million. These funds formed the naira equivalent of $2 million which was what the first defendant (Metuh) gave to one Nneka Ararume in cash.

“Investigations revealed that all this money was used for PDP campaign activities and for personal use by the first defendant. The money used for PDP campaign activities was from the sum of N400m.

“Among the disbursement made include the N77.5million paid to CMC Connect for campaign activities; the sum of N25 million paid to Abba Dabo for campaign activities and the sum of N21.7 million paid to Chief Tony Anenih. Another N5million was discovered to have been paid to Chief Kema Chikwe and N50 million was found to have been transferred to a joint account of the first defendant and his wife.

“The sum of N500m was also discovered to have been transferred to Daniel Ford International Limited in two tranches of N200 million and N300 million for the purpose of buying landed property at Banana Island, Lagos by Metuh.”He also testified on what transpired when Metuh was asked to make a statement in writing.

He said: “In the course of the investigation, the team visited the residence of the first defendant and invited him to the Commission. After an interview, he was asked if he was willing to volunteer a statement in writing and he said ‘yes’. When he concluded writing his statement, which was in four sheets, he handed them over to us. I read what he had written. I also gave it to my other team members to read. After that, I returned it to him for endorsement.

“He endorsed the first sheet, he endorsed the second sheet, when he was to endorse the third sheet in which he had stated that the money he received from office of the NSA was used for PDP campaign activities and to settle his personal debts, to the surprise of the team, he suddenly tore the sheet. The pieces of the torn sheets were then recovered from him and registered as exhibit.”

When cross-examined by Metuh’s counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Sa’aid, however, admitted that the money the accused person received from NSA followed due process.

The EFCC detective also revealed that Metuh did not eat his statement, contrary to reports that he did, but that he simply tore it.
Justice Abang adjourned the case till February 18 at the instance of the defendants to enable them open their defence.

Meanwhile, former Defence Chief, Air Mashal Alex Badeh, has been detained for the second day running by the EFCC, even as more Air Force officers reported to the commission yesterday.

Already, Air Mashal Adesola Amosu has spent two weeks in custody. Information filtered in that the commission obtained court permit to keep him beyond 48 hours because he is needed for the series of investigations that are being carried out on some past contract awards at the Nigeria Air Force.

Badeh has been in detention since he reported at the EFCC headquarters in Wuse 2 in Abuja on Monday. A check by The Guardian at 6 pm yesterday revealed that he was still in detention. A source within the commission told The Guardian that “it is not unlikely that he will be detained tonight as well.”