SaharaReporters has learned that Senate
President Bukola Saraki blackmailed officials
of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) into
giving him N250 million as “hush” funds
after the senator found out that ex-President
Goodluck Jonathan illicitly approved N60
billion for the former National Security
Advisor (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, to purchase
“arms.” A source, who is a senior CBN
official, disclosed that bank officials paid the
sum to Mr. Saraki, who was not the Senate
President at the time, to ensure that he and
other senators kept silent about the irregular
withdrawals by the NSA and the Jonathan
administration.
Our source also revealed that some officials
of the Central Bank of Nigeria quietly
resisted several attempts by officials of the
Jonathan administration to carry out large-
scale theft of funds from the national
treasury in the name of fighting Islamist
insurgent group, Boko Haram insurgents.

A CBN whistleblower made available to our
correspondent a hurriedly typewritten
document that detailed how ex-NSA, Mr.
Dasuki, requested tranches of dollars from
the bank after obtaining approval from
former President Jonathan between February
and March this year.

According to the document, in the third week
of February 2015 the former NSA requested
for $250 million from the CBN but got $200
million. In the fourth week of February, the
NSA put in a request for $150 million but
received $125 million.

In the first week of March 2015, with
Nigeria’s postponed elections a few weeks
away, the NSA made a request for another
$250 million, but only got $204 million. In
the second week of March, Mr. Dasuki again
called for $250 million, but the CBN provided
$104 million and N3 billion.

According to the whistleblower, Abbas Umar
Masanawa who was appointed as the
Executive Director in charge of Finance and
Strategy at the Nigerian Minting Company by
the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele
as soon as he resumed as CBN governor in
2014 played a major role. Our source said
Mr. Abbas then oversaw “the printing of an
unprecedented amount of naira by the Mint,”
adding “the printed cash was passed on to
President Jonathan.” Masanawa was a key
aide of Mr. Emefiele while he was the MD of
Zenith Bank before he was appointed to the
Mint.

The source told SaharaReporters that Mr.
Jonathan and former NSA Dasuki withdrew
close to $600 million from the Central Bank
of Nigeria within a period of three to four
weeks. He said the funds were mostly used
for election purposes.

Yesterday, a news website, TheCable,
published details of the illegal withdrawal of
N60 billion from the CBN as well as the theft
of public funds from the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). TheCable
alleged that a Nigerian senator, on learning
about the illegal withdrawals, threatened CBN
officials that he would reveal the
questionable payments unless they gave
him N5 billion. The site, which did not name
the senator in question, stated that he was
now a principal officer of the Senate.

But a source at the Nigerian Presidency told
SaharaReporters that the person in question
was then Senator Bukola Saraki, who is now
Senate President. Although TheCable did not
disclose if the senator got paid the hush
funds or not, SaharaReporters learned that,
as recently as May 2015, Mr. Saraki
received N250 million from CBN officials.
The cash transfer was deemed part of the
hush payment to ensure that Mr. Saraki keep
quiet about the questionable withdrawals
ostensibly meant for arms purchases.
Our Presidency source suggested that Mr.
Saraki got wind of the illegal transactions
through a CBN staff loyal to the ousted CBN
Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Mr. Sanusi,
who is now the Emir of Kano, is a close
friend of Senator Saraki with whom he
attended school. During the period in
question Saraki had become a fierce
opponents of President Jonathan haven
dumped the PDP and with attempts made by
the regime to kick him out of the Senate.
Our source also stated that Mr. Saraki’s
blackmail of CBN officials also included a
demand that the CBN approve Heritage
Bank’s takeover of Enterprise Bank as
recently as August 2015. Senator Saraki has
significant equity stake in Heritage Bank.
Apparently basking in his ability to compel
the CBN to do his bidding, Mr. Saraki urged
the bank’s top officials to remove the
National Assembly from the Treasury Single
Account policy, even after President
Muhammadu Buhari had explicitly refused to
allow that exclusion. In an apparent attempt
to force the hand both of the CBN and
President Buhari, one of Mr. Saraki’s closest
allies, Senator Dino Melaye, raised an alarm
accusing the government of stealing N25
billion from the TSA via a remittance fee
charged by a third party company that had
been hired by President Jonathan’s
administration.

But when the Senate set up a probe
committee to look into the alleged fraud, it
could not find proof that any money was
missing.

www.newspunch.org/2-1bln-arms-deal-scandal-document-reveals-saraki-got-n250mln-from-cbn-top-officials/

News Punch ..this website wey dem take do propaganda campaign

.. Wetin you go dey hear na 'the source @ the presidency .. 'The source close to Sahara reporters' .. *an unnamed source * .. a source who is a CBN official' ..

Oya, count how many sources in this junk article ..

This news can only make FP in 2go

Op this your copy and paste pass paul epistles now !! Untop saraki matter

Haa!
No, it can't be true joor

Kikikikikiki.....saraki don buy market?.....but this source no sure?

E bi like say Naija na the richest country for dis world o, all this billions trillions zillions kazillions sha

Pheals:
Op this your copy and paste pass paul epistles now !! Untop saraki matter

Na so o.
though I don't believe anything from that source but I want to hear peoples view

peacengine:
E bi like say Naija na the richest country for dis world o, all this billions trillions zillions kazillions sha

have you heard of dillion, killion and cillion, infact the latest is pillion(60 zeros)

Dmillionaire:
have you heard of dillion, killion and cillion, infact the latest is pillion(60 zeros)

V

...

If na better website carry this news, I for believe but for Sahara reporter, no way!

lord have mercy

Una no dey tire?everyday a new name is mentioned in dis drama.can we march forward as a country?its almost a year and we r still on dis $2.1billion issue?its just getting so boring.

Saraki name is fasting appearing on every single corruption allegation. I now pity this guy. He is getting more than he bargained for. But I told him and he refused to listen that people who leave in class house don' t throw stone therein. Contesting for that seat and disregarding your party directives especially after your emergence is like beginning a war you know can't win.

This people are stronger than you think. They will not leave you until they suck your blood to the last drop. Where they are unable to legally dislodge you, which I doubt, your name will continue to be smeared till 2019 and in which case your ambition will no longer be realisable.

*NaijaLegalAnalyst*

peacengine:
E bi like say Naija na the richest country for dis world o, all this billions trillions zillions kazillions sha

You are closer to the truth. Definitely, Nigeria is among the richest nations on earth. Naturally blessed with all things to make life easier for the people of the country.
One thing that spoiled the whole blessings is the greediness of the leadership.

Fake.