TheCable

Musiliu Obanikoro, a former minister of state for defence, has retrieved his passport from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), according to PUNCH.

The newspaper also said Iyiola Omisore, former deputy governor of Osun state, whose passport was also seized, had collected it.

Obanikoro allegedly gave N1.3 billion each to Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti, who is currently in EFCC custody and Omisore.

The funds were said to have been received from Sambo Dasuki, immediate past national security adviser (NSA).

PUNCH quoted a source at the commission as saying Obanikoro returned over N100 million and made a commitment to return more and also help out in investigations.

The source said the former minister who recently defected to All Progressives Congress (APC) has not been cleared of the corruption allegations levelled against him.

“Obanikoro was able to return over N100m out of the money he received from Dasuki. He showed genuine commitment to returning more money and assist the EFCC with investigations and his passports were returned to him,” the newspaper quoted the source as saying.

“The fact that the commission returned the passports to him does not mean that he has been cleared.

“Obanikoro travelled out on Wednesday evening, saying he wanted to go for medical treatment. He gave no date when he would return.”

On his part, Omisore had entered into a deal with the APC to support Gboyega Oyetola, the party’s candidate, in the Osun governorship poll.

Efforts by TheCable to reach Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman of the EFCC, to get his comments were not successful.