Dasukigate: ThisDay publisher, Nduka Obaigbena, surrenders to EFCC

Obaigbena

Publisher of ThisDay Newspapers, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, on Tuesday reported at the Abuja headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to answer questions over money laundering.

Reports had suggested that the Commission was planning to declare Mr Obaigbena wanted over his alleged involvement in the $2.1b arms deal scandal christened Dasukigate.

He had earlier confessed to receiving N670million from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in the wake of last year general elections.

Obaigbena claimed in a letter to the anti-graft commission that he received N550million from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, as compensation for Boko Haram’s attacks on his newspaper and N120million on behalf of 12 members of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) for the disruption of their operations by security agents.

The disclosure of names of the newspapers that benefitted from the largesse has made some to return the N9m given for the loss suffered in the wake of impounding some newspapers by the military.

It remains unknown if Obaigbena, who arrived at the EFCC headquarters about 10am, was still there at the time of filing this report.

Spokesman of the Commission, Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached to confirm the report.

Obaigbena, who away when his name was mentioned in connection with the alleged diversion of monies meant to purchase arms to fight the Boko Haram insurgency, returned to the country last week.