Nenadi Usman reportedly returns N23m to FG

– Nenadi Usman, the director of finance of the
Goodluck Jonathan campaign organisation, is being
quizzed by the EFCC for allegedly receiving N2.5bn
from mysterious account to her company
– An EFCC source revealed that Usman was
cooperating with the agency and returned N23m to the
federal government
– She said that all her actions were based on the
instructions of the former president, and she did not
know that the funds belonged to taxpayers
Nenadi Usman is being quizzed by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission.
Nenadi Usman, a former finance minister, has
reportedly returned N23m to the federal government.
Usman, who served as the director of finance of the
Goodluck Jonathan campaign organisation, is being
quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) for allegedly receiving N2.5bn from
the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a reliable source
told The Punch that Usman was cooperating with the
anti-graft agency and promised to return more money.
During the interrogation, Usman stressed that all her
actions were based on the instructions of the former
president. She added that she did not know that the
funds belonged to taxpayers.
READ ALSO: N2.5bn: EFCC detains Jonathan’s
campaign director
She said that as the director of finance of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign
organisation, she was asked to set up a bank account
during the build-up to the election, which she did.
Usman revealed that all donations were made to
Jonathan’s campaign through Joint Trust Dimensions
Nigeria Limited. She noted that through the said account
funds were released to all campaign directors, zonal
coordinators and other related parties and groups which
campaigned for the PDP.
According Usman, Femi Fani-Kayode, the director of
publicity, was paid N840m through the same account.
Chief Olu Falae, the chairman of the Social Democratic
Party, and Rashidi Ladoja, also allegedly received
N100m each through the said account.
“She told us that she did not know the funds belonged to
the Federal Government. However, we asked her why she
didn’t verify and also why didn’t she set up an account
bearing the name of the PDP. Why did she use her company
account if not that she wanted to keep things secret,” the
source said.
Meanwhile, one of the campaign managers of
Jonathan’s re-election campaign said the National
Intelligence Agency (NIA) knew about the alleged
diversion of funds from the CBN.
READ ALSO: Fani-Kayode reveals all the truth about
Jonathan’s campaign funds
The EFCC source noted that the account was set up by
the NIA, which is under the office of the national
security adviser. He revealed that some officials of the
NIA had been already quizzed by the anti-graft agency
to explain why the account was set up.
“During the build-up to the last elections, when monies
were going to be diverted from the account of the CBN, the
Ministry of External Affairs Library was set up with the
connivance of officials of the NIA. It was done so that the
transaction would seem as if the money was being ed to a
federal government account and it would not raise any red
flags. The permanent secretary at the villa then drew up a
memo on the instructions of the president and the CBN
deposited the funds into the account of the Ministry of
External Affairs.
“From there, the money was paid into Joint Trust
Dimensions Nigeria Limited, from where monies were sent
to all stakeholders during the electioneering. Preliminary
investigations however suggest that the Ministry of External
Affairs Library does not even exist,” the source said.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, a former
commissioner of the Lagos state police command,
urged Goodluck Jonathan to break the silence and
explain the role he played in the $2.1bn arms funds
scandal.
According to Tsav, “silence is not golden for Jonathan
at this period,” therefore, he should speak out or the
anti-graft agency should invite him.