Former Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Aminu Baba-Kusa has informed a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, that the immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan spent over N2.2billion on prayers against Boko Haram.
Baba-Kusa said Jonathan spent the huge amount on special prayers in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia in his bid to ouster insurgency, adding that the disbursement was through the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA.
The former Executive Director of NNPC who is standing trial alongside the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki(rtd) in relation to the diversion of funds meant for the procurement of arms made the disclosure in his statement of witness filed before the court.
Baba-Kusa in the statement said the money was released in two tranches of N1,450,000,000 and N750,000,000.
But the suspect has promised to refund the N2.2billion by disposing of his assets.
Baba-Kusa said, “I approached the former NSA and discussed Boko Haram problems and I suggested there is need for prayers and he considered and accepted in 2013 when he first came to office.
“I personally sponsored many people locally and some few to Saudi Arabia. Some monies were later paid into our companies, which we paid to some of the mallams.
“I then arranged to recover my personal expense which I put into our own businesses.
“We have been spending a lot from our businesses and personal accounts. Money paid through UBA, First Bank and ECOBANK. For Acacia Holdings Limited(A/C 1017330319-UBA); ECOBANK(0122012650); and First Bank(Reliance Referral Hospitals Limited A/C 2022394057). The total amount is N2,200,000,000 from October 2014 to April 2015.”
He added, “I used some of the mallams to organise in Abuja, Zaria, Kano, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Kaduna and Saudi Arabia covering 2013 to 2015.”
“I give them funds as required from time to time, ranging from N500,000 to N30million, depending on their needs, traveling, sadaqat and others for local expenses and travels to Saudi Arabia for Umrah and Hajj.
“I reminded the NSA many times before payments were made. We grew up together with the former NSA with common friends in ABU.
“Most of the payments in cash were meant to give out cash to people that have been organising prayers. Some transfers to Acacia to other banks were for logistics and also to some mallams in cash.”
Baba-Kusa who noted that the prayer contract was not documented stressed that the contract proposal was verbal.
“The proposal made to the former NSA was not documented by him or myself. The verbal proposal to him was for prayers to overcome Boko Haram within the shortest possible time.
“The engagement for prayers by organising some people to be praying was not formally written down.
“There was no amount of money agreed on. I said to him, I will start organising, which he agreed and said he will see what he would give at a later time,” he said.
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