EFCC detains Fani-Kayode, asks him to refund N840m

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Monday, detained a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, for allegedly receiving N840m from the party’s campaign funds. The ex-minister, who arrived at the EFCC headquarters at about 9.45am, is currently being held at the anti-graft office for further investigations. Fani-Kayode was accused of receiving the said amount from the Director of Finance of the campaign organisation, Senator Nenadi Usman,

during the build-up to the 2015 election, which the Peoples Democratic Party lost to the All Progressives Congress. The money was said to have emanated from the account of the National Security Adviser, which is domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria. Meanwhile, Fani-Kayode had maintained that the PDP leadership gave him the impression that the money was sourced from private individuals. He said, “I served as the director of publicity of the Jonathan campaign organisation and I was told to set up an account for the directorate, which I did. I never received money from the CBN, but like all the other directors, we received money from the director of finance. “I was assured that the funds were not public funds but were sourced from private individuals. I never knowingly spent government money all through. The money was spent specifically on the campaigns. The accounts were audited and we were commended by the President.” Sources at the EFCC told Punch that the sole aim of the investigation was to recover the funds. A reliable source at the EFCC said, “Nenadi Usman cooperated with us and returned funds. Fani-Kayode must also do the same. We need our money back.