DIEZANI’S LOOT: EFCC coerced me to lie that I got N30m –INEC ex-official

An erstwhile official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Christian Nwosu, on Friday told a Lagos Federal High Court how he was coerced to say he received N30 million from former Petroleum Minister, Dieziani Alison-Madueke.

According to Nwosu, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Usman Zakari, told him that he would be dumped in jail should he fail to write what will be dictated to him.

Nwosu, who is a retired INEC administrative secretary in Kwara State, is among some staff of the electoral body arrested for allegedly receiving money from Diezani to manipulate the outcome of the 2015 general elections for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He however told the court presided over by Justice Mohammed Idris, that he was coerced by Zakari not only to claim that he received N30 million but that he also surrender his property worth N30 million and N5 million cash to the EFCC.

Nwosu further stated that EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, ordered Zakari to keep him in detention.

“On the 28 of December, I was invited to EFCC, interviewed by one Mr. Moses and I made statements. He was about to let me go but he said his boss will want to see me. When Zakari came and read my statement, he said no, I have not written what he wants to hear and that he has signed my detention order form and was going to detain me and that even if I bring 10 lawyers, they won’t help me except I write what he dictate to me, he was going to keep me.

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“He told me that Adedoyin had admitted collecting N28 million and was released; that being a senior officer, there was no way I wouldn’t have not have benefitted by collecting up to N30 million (sic). He said unless I stated that I benefitted N30 million, he would dump me in the cell. I quickly told him I benefitted. He dictated to me that I should write it; I did.

“I knelt before Rotimi and he said: ‘Baba get up; I’ll only advice you to cooperates with us. He said he would not want me to go through the stress of litigation. He asked if I had landed property and cars. He said I should write out the property worth N30million that I had. He said he would ensure that I was convicted and jailed at all cost if I didn’t cooperate,” Nwosu said.

 

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