A bullion van driver has confessed that he conveyed the N1.219bn to Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose in his hotel. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has alleged that the money was delivered to the governor, Ayodele Fayose and was used to rig the 2014 Ekiti governorship election, which Fayose won.

Fayose is being investigated by the EFCC for allegedly receiving the N1.219bn through the Office of the National Security Adviser for his campaign in 2014. The money is said to be part of the N4.7bn allegedly diverted to influence elections from the ONSA under Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).

EFCC investigations had revealed that the N4.7bn was paid into a bank account of Sylvan McNamara, a company in which the sons of a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, are directors.

According to EFCC version, about N1.219bn of the slush money was flown to Akure on a private plane for use in the Ekiti State governorship election. And that Fayose received the N1.219bn through his bosom friend, Abiodun Agbele.

The bullion van driver, Mr. Olaoluwa Omotoso said he drove the bullion van to the Akure airport tarmac on June 17, 2014 so as to transport the N1.219bn flown from Lagos by Obanikoro.

He told EFCC detectives that he made two separate trips to the airport because of the volume of cash involved. He said that part of the money was taken to a bank in Alagbaka, Akure, on the orders Agbele, while the rest money was taken to Spotless Hotel, Ado Ekiti, owned by Fayose and his wife, Feyisetan.

A detective in the commission, who spoke to the Punch newspaper yesterday said, “Omotoso explained that on June 17, 2014, he was given a directive to go to the Akure airport to convey some funds. He said he went to the airport twice to move the money. He said some of the money was taken to a bank while he, along with Agbele, moved the remaining cash to Spotless Hotel, Ado Ekiti.

“He said the money was moved in three vehicles, including one bullion van and two Toyota Hilux vans. The two Toyota Hilux vans had some soldiers inside for security while Agbele was with him in the Hilux van.

“He said he did not know exactly how much was conveyed. He explained that Agbele held the keys to the vault in the bullion van. On getting to Spotless Hotel at night, they offloaded the cash and Agbele entered the vehicle to search and ensure that no money was left behind. Agbele then returned the keys and Omotoso drove off.”

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Mr. Peter Amangbo, has denied that the bank sponsored the governorship campaign of Fayose in 2014, contrary to the governor’s claim.

Amangbo told the EFCC that the bank has only one branch in Ekiti State, wondering why the bank would invest in Fayose when the state government had no account with the bank.