Fresh revelations emanating from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have it that ex-president Goodluck Jonathan spent about N2.2billion on prayers to fight Boko Haram.
The Nation gathered from an executive director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa, that the money was spent on prayers in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia to win the war against insurgency in the country.
This latest development is not part of the $2.1billion arms fund for which former National Security Adviser (NSA) Colonel Sambo Dasuki is being tried.
The monies for the prayer, it was gathered, was disbursed through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), as proposed by Baba-Kusa.
Making this revelation was Baba-Kusa himself, in a statement of witness filed in the high court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where he, Dasuki and three others(Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited (owned by Baba-Kusa) and a former director of finance in ONSA, Shuaibu Salisu) are facing trials.
The NNPC director confessed that the money was spent on prayers to hasten the defeat of the insurgents, and that it was released in two tranches of N1,450,000,000 and N750,000,000, adding that the proposal was verbal.
“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,” Baba-Kusa confessed.
According to him, he may not be an expert,
“but 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.”
On how the prayer contract was arrived at, the suspect said: “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.”
Baba-Kusa, who noted that he spent an estimate of over N700million from his own resources before asking for money from the ONSA, noted further that “some of these funds came from disposal of some of my land in Abuja. One in Maitama, one in Gudu and one in Guzape. The Maitama was a little over N200million; Guzape (N80m), Gudu(N18m).”
He added that he kept no records of the money he handed over to the various people they used, but assured the EFCC that he would refund the said cash if he is able to dispose off his landed properties.
“I am making efforts to dispose of my properties in Abuja which would be over the total amount of N2.2billion. If the sales go through and the amount from the sales is made in full, I will make full payment.” he was quoted to have said.
The 19 charges against the five suspects read that, Baba-Kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited are alleged to have “between October 2014 and April 2015 in Abuja agreed to do an illegal act to wit: dishonestly receiving property to wit: an aggregate sum of N2,200,000,000 being part of the funds in the accounts of the Office of National Security Adviser and that the same act was fine in pursuance of the agreement among you and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol.4, LFN 2004.”

https://www.naij.com/760177-revealed-ex-president-jonathan-spent-n2-2bn-prayers-fight-boko-haram.html

Kai!

Before anyone foolish comes to make noise about 'media propaganda' or 'media trial', know that this is a court room confession, backed by evidence, of this man receiving 2.2bn naira from Dasuki without a contract or any documentation, supposedly for 'special prayers'


2.2 billion naira. Let that sink in. Money the NSA could have used to buy weapons and equipment for our soldiers.

Smh.

Last time I checked, praying to God is free of charge.
Na wao,if true, then GEJ nd d people he gave d money to needs to b checked.




Lol......mallams. guess GEJ Wasn't privy to this as he wasn't mentioned. But den,we depend more on spirituality when we ourselves by doing the right tns at d right time can solve our problems with the grace God has given us.

Only an illetrate would believe this sh1t
They wana spend 1/8 of their tenure blaming the past administration, like they never knew what was on ground before





I repeat this a party of tautology

Another smear campaign has been launched!

As always, we always get past em unscathed while My President keeps mute!

Zombies, See Food!

"The Nation" owned by Tinubu?

Another media propaganda

Funny

Hmmmmm
Prayers without seizing indeed

Money for prayers?
Nawa oooo

Another lies to distract there followers

I am so tired of this government. Everything isn't working and worst of all the benefit of fuel availability we use to enjoy during the last administration has also gone bad.

For 8 months now, fuel aren't stable and the President double as minister of petroleum isn't doing any shit about it.

Does Buhari really care about the masses?

lol kai mallams been hammer oh, but na which kind prayers chop that kind money mmmm

Trading in prayers

2.2BN Another National disgrace

don't you guys get tired of lies, was that the reason behind onye ije ( aka dullard ) always travelling and don't have even one project to show for it.

muslims should know that islam is not christianity

IPOB/wailers are having HBP as we speak.

texazzpete:
Kai!

Before anyone foolish comes to make noise about 'media propaganda' or 'media trial', know that this is a court room confession, backed by evidence, of this man receiving 2.2bn naira from Dasuki without a contract or any documentation, supposedly for 'special prayers'


2.2 billion naira. Let that sink in. Money the NSA could have used to buy weapons and equipment for our soldiers.

Smh.

Hear from the other side before jumping to conclusion. GEJ raped our economy from the back but EFCC shouldn't be trusted 100%, they might come out later to deny or withdraw the statement/charges.



BTW, Isn't 2.2billion the exact amount Buhari spent US trip? @ least GEJ spent his own(if true) to pray for Nigeria but Buhari's own is for what?

You met the treasury virtually empty and the first thing you did was to blow 2.2 billion on a foreign trip.

These old men don't care about us so Bleep them.

Kondomatic:
Hear from the other side before jumping to conclusion. GEJ raped our economy from the back but EFCC shouldn't be trusted 100%, they might come out later to deny or withdraw the statement/charges.



BTW, Isn't 2.2billion the exact amount Buhari spent US trip? @ least GEJ spent his own(if true) to pray for Nigeria but Buhari's own is for what?

You met the treasury virtually empty and the first thing you did was to blow 2.2 billion on a foreign trip.

These old men don't care about us so Bleep them.

Please, don't be daft. This statement was NOT made by EFCC, but was a confession to the courts from one of the accused.

He has been asked to account for how the NSA paid him 2.2bn naira without a legal contract and this is his defence/explanation. Which other side is there to hear from? The EFCC?

Show a verified source for your travel expenditure claims. Besides, that has nothing to do with this case. Buhari's travels are documented and budgeted for as part of his job. No comparison.

So far, you're doing great a poor job at defending corruption

texazzpete:


Please, don't be daft. This statement was NOT made by EFCC, but was a confession to the courts from one of the accused.

He has been asked to account for how the NSA paid him 2.2bn naira without a legal contract and this is his defence/explanation. Which other side is there to hear from? The EFCC?

Show a verified source for your travel expenditure claims. Besides, that has nothing to do with this case. Buhari's travels are documented and budgeted for as part of his job. No comparison.

So far, you're doing great a poor job at defending corruption

The news came from EFCC, that was why I mentioned them.

Who's defending corruption?

To what purpose?

We are not amused by these daily rants from Buhari's EFCC or DSS any longer. One thing that remains incontrovertible is the fact that most of these monies were spent on last elections and I am still waiting for Buhari and APC's leadership to explain to the world how they funded their campaigns in the buildup to the presidential and other elections. The current cash crunch facing APC is nothing but lack of access to free fund from Ameachi and co who aledgedly single handedly bankrolled Buhari's campaigns. All these will become a child's play when 2019 election approaches and the true colour of APC unravels.

Cant the Fed Govt understand dat this pattern of media warfare against Jonathan's tenure in order to curry favour from d populace and make them forget their own campaign promises is beginning to backfire. By this smear campaign, they v rather improved my rating for Jona who saw d battle against terrorism as a guerrilla warfare and d divinity had to be called in and he contacted both Christians and Muslims. When u understand dat life is more spiritual than physical then u ll understand where am coming from. If truly d money was spent on prayers and d Efcc wants to pick a fight against God then d negative consequences will be more. Mr President all some of us are saying is dat if prayers which is d master key can bring us out of this tsunami into our expected Eldorado pls increase d allocation in dat regards. Nobody now is interested in all these revelations if they cant provide us with light, fuel, jobs, security etc. Fighting corruption is good but governance must not be completely abandoned. This is almost a year into d life of this admin and not a single project has been approved let alone being commissioned whereas most states dat started with u can boast of projects they conceptualized and already commissioned after completion. The average man on d street is more interested in improvement in his quality of life by ur govt policies than all this probes.

YOU GUYS CAN'T DIVERT THE ATTENTION OF NIGERIANS ALL THE TIME. POWER GENERATION HAS DROPPED TO 1240MW AS AT TODAY'S NEWS FROM PUNCH, AND FUEL IS SELLING LEGALLY AT 140/LTR AT FILLING STATIONS THAT HAVE THE PRODUCT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND JUST ON THISDAY NEWSPAPER, THE US COMMANDER FOR AFRICA SAYS THAT BOKO HARAM STILL CONTROLS TERRITORIES IN NIGERIA. PLS STOP ALL THESE PRESS TRIALS AND FIX THIS NATION.

Eeeewwwweeelllleeeee
Iiiyyyeeeeee

This is a court confession not from Efcc he has even promise to refund the money from his landed properties in Abuja and some Ineffectual buffoon loyalists are calling this media propaganda. This is why we are where we are because we don't condemn corruption everything is about ethnicity and religion. The greatest beneficiaries of the Ineffectual Buffon are from the north and some blind southerners and defending the Ineffectual buffoon when they never benefited from his incompetence.
Long live PMB
Long live Nigeria

Subhanallah!
He embezzled our common patrimony, used it in purchasing landed properties while the life of Nigerian citizens continued to be wasted in the north east by boko haram.
After the arm of the law caught up with him now, he is now ready to sell off those properties and return the monies, what about the lives that have been lost
moreover, if #2.2bn can be embezzled due to "prayers" in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, how much more would have gone to the direct purse of Oritsejafor and associates??
All these yam eaters must vomit their loot and get persecuted

lolz

henrygale:
Last time I checked, praying to God is free of charge.
Na wao,if true, then GEJ nd d people he gave d money to needs to b checked.




Lol......mallams. guess GEJ Wasn't privy to this as he wasn't mentioned. But den,we depend more on spirituality when we ourselves by doing the right tns at d right time can solve our problems with the grace God has given us.

Where did Baba Kusa mention Jonathan??

faints*v*
I pity some peeps above me, this money is just so ridiculous to their ears that they choose not to believe it's true and in turn attack the government of the day, Oluwa help una.
which mountain the prayers took place, I wan go search there. don't ask me why oo.

faints*

Kondomatic:
The news came from EFCC, that was why I mentioned them.

Who's defending corruption?

To what purpose?

It would help if you read the article properly. It references a statement of witness filed by the accused.

texazzpete:


It would help if you read the article properly. It references a statement of witness filed by the accused.

Who accused the accused and to whom did the accused submit the statement?

Thank God we booted out Jonathan