Banker tells court it took 10 days to count Obanikoro’s N1.22bn cash transfer to Fayose
A banker, Sunday Alade has testified that it took as many as 10 days of total dedication before he and his colleagues could finish counting the sum of N1.22bn cash delivered to the aides of Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, by former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro in 2014.
Alade, a staff of Zenith Bank, Akure continued his witness account of what transpired during the cash exchange at a court hearing on Monday.
“It took us 10 whole days to count the money after we brought it from the Akure Airport. It took us from 8am to 3pm daily to count the money. Some time, the officials counting it would take time off,” he told the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Alade’s testimony as the first prosecution witness continued the trial of an aide to Fayose, Mr. Abiodun Agbele, who is being tried on money laundering charges.
Agbele, along with three companies – Sylvan Mcnamara Ltd., De Privateer and Spotless – are being prosecuted on 11 counts of money laundering involving about N4,685,723,000,000 which was allegedly taken by former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
It is alleged that on June 17, 2014, Agbele, Obanikoro and other suspects (said to be at large), took about N1,219,000,000 from the N4,685,723,000,000, and the prosecution said they “reasonably ought to have known” that the money was part of proceeds from Dasuki’s unlawful activity.
