TheCable

Christian Nwosu, an ex-administrative secretary with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says the N30 million he received from Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former minister of petroleum resources, was used for logistics.

Nwosu is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside two other INEC officials, for allegedly taking a bribe of N264.88m from Alison-Madueke.

Appearing before a federal high court in Lagos on Thursday, Nwosu admitted receiving N264.8m in the build-up to the 2015 general election.

He also said he received N30m out of the N264.8m, adding that he did not benefit from the money but spent it on logistics.

“I did not personally benefit from the N30m,” Nwosu said.

“The ad hoc staff benefitted because the election went smoothly with the assistance of the logistics support. My commission was aware of the money and the evidence was that the election went smoothly.”

He added that he acted on the orders of a man he identified simply as Togba who reportedly directed him over the phone to visit the bank to collect the money.

On October 7, Nwosu told the presiding judge that  the EFCC coerced him into admitting that he collected the money from Alison-Madueke.