Facts have emerged on how Thisday Publisher, Nduka Obaigbena used the N670 million which he received from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA.
Sources at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC where the flamboyant publisher is currently being quizzed for the second day after he turned himself in on Tuesday, January 26, 2016, disclosed that Obaigbena disbursed N568,360,000 from the ONSA heist to Arise Global Media Limited, promoters of troubled international pay TV, Arise TV.
The source maintained that the amount was transferred from the account of General Hydrocarbon, which received the initial payment from the ONSA purportedly for a contract that was not stated.
The mandate for the first tranche of N150 million paid to General Hydrocarbon by the ONSA indicate that it was for Environmental Security Project, while the remaining tranches were tagged energy consulting.
The source disclosed that investigation has so far not established a nexus between the funds paid to General Hydrocarbon and the alleged monies paid to Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN members by Obaigbena.
“There is so far no established trail of funds moving from General Hydrocarbon’s account and the NPAN account which should have confirmed the claim by Nduka that he received money from ONSA for onward delivery to NPAN members,” the source told New Mail correspondent on Wednesday night in Abuja.
In the absence of this link, the source disclosed that it is becoming clear that funds were moved from ONSA’a account to fund Arise Tv.
The source disclosed that Obaigbena has already written an undertaking, to refund the money collected from ONSA within two weeks, perhaps as precondition to be released on administrative bail.
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