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| Dabbo |
Former
Special Adviser to ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo, Alhaji Abba Dabo,
yesterday told a Federal High Court in Abuja how he returned N25 million
paid to him by the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh to the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC). The fund was for publicity, he says.
He gave evidence in the trial of Metuh by the EFCC as Prosecution Witness 7.
Dabo told the court that he knew about Metuh’s Destra Investments Limited from publicity early this year.
Cross- examined by Metuh’s counsel,
Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), he said he returned the money to the EFCC because
there was a publication linking the transaction to controversial
circumstances.
“It was alleged in the media that the
N25million Metuh gave me through his company was sourced from the arms
fund. I decided to make a refund to the EFCC because I could not reach
Metuh at that particular time.
Earlier, he said: “ On December 16, 2014,
there was a transaction between Metuh an I. He paid N25million into my
account through his company, Destra Investments Limited for publicity of
the party.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel,
Slyvanus Tahir, Dabo said towards the run-up to the 2015 elections, when
it became obvious that former President Goodluck Jonathan will contest,
government officials and party leaders met to review the achievement of
the President.
“In the course of those meetings, a lot
of concerns were raised, indicating that the opposition controls the
media. The PDP was getting negative publicity and we were concerned.
Leaders were told to grant press interviews to boost Jonathan’s
chances.
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| Olisa Metuh |
“I set up a media support group and
registered it as Media Support System to do media advocacy work for the
government with commissioned reporters to write and be paid.
“We called it the Rapid Response Team and
it was to answer critics. It was the success of this that led to more
meetings between Metuh and I. Metuh wanted me to assist in publicity
work which was his beat.
He said after the presidential nomination
convention, “Metuh gave me N25million, with that money I set up a team
of young enthusiasts to run a website called whatsupnaija
“Although we could not get a lot of
Nigerians to register because the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
rejected “naija,” they wanted whatsupnigeria, we continued to pay
salaries and allowances of the facilitators from the money received. We
bought equipment and computers for the people working for whatsupnaija and even paid for the apartment which was also used as situation room from which we monitored the election.”
On how he refunded the money to EFCC, the
witness explained “ I wrote a letter to the EFCC attaching three bank
drafts with a covering letter acknowledging that Metuh gave me
N25million on December 16, 2014 for publicity campaign for the party, which was faithfully carried out by whatsupnaija and Media Support System.
“In the letter, I stated that however,
consequent upon advice, I hereby attached the following bank drafts as a
refund for the said amount,” Dabo said.
However, attempts by Tahir to tender in
evidence, Dabo’s proposal to Metuh for publicity jobs, his company
profile and tenancy agreement between Mrs. Florence Okigbo failed as
they were rejected by the court.
Justice Okon Abang upheld the objection of Metuh’s lawyer and marked the documents as rejected.
Further hearing was adjourned to February 9.
Meanwhile, a High Court of the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT), yesterday fixed Monday, February 8, to deliver
its ruling on the application brought by former National Security
Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) asking the court to discharge him
from the criminal charges filed by the Federal Government.
Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf fixed the date
after his lawyer, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN) and counsel to Federal
Government, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had addressed the court on a motion
praying for Dasuki’s release.
In the motion argued by Daudu, the court
was urged to stop the government from further prosecuting him or
seeking any indulgence from the court until the bail granted his client
is allowed to be enjoyed.
He also asked Justice Baba-Yusuf to
discharge Dasuki of all the offences contained in the charge against his
client because the government cannot lawfully prosecute the ex-NSA
having been in contempt of the court.
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