EFCC: How Ex Imo Gov, Udenwa, Onwuliri Allegedly Used Joint Account To Collect N350 Million Ahead of 2015 Election

L:R:  ( fromBACK ROW):Udenwa, Onwuliri, Usman,Falae, Kayode

The Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC , Monday listed former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa and former Minister of State, Foreign Affairs 1, Dr (Mrs) Viola Onwuliri of collecting N350 Million naria.

According to reports, the duo alongside prominent politicians of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP allegedly collectively collected and shared N3.145 billion naria in the build up to the 2015 presidential election.

Udenwa and Onwuliri are so far the only two high profile politicians from Imo State mentioned in collecting sleaze money during the reign of the PDP.

Others named in the bazaar include former Minister of Aviation and Media Director, Jonathan Campaign Organization, Femi Fani Kayode , former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman and a top politician, Okey Ezenwa.

Media reports last night  quoted an unnamed EFCC source who alleged that Udenwa and Onwuliri got N350 million naria in two tranches. The first tranche of N150 million was deposited into their joint account with Zenith Bank on January 13, 2015 whilethe second tranche of N200 million, according to the report, was paid into their account with Diamond Bank. 

Read Full Report As Published By Vanguard Newspaper

 Investigators at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have stumbled on evidence that showed how prominent politicians, mostly from the Peoples Democratic Party, allegedly shared N3.145 billion in the build up to the last general election.

Among the beneficiaries of the bazaar are a former Aviation Minister and Director of Media for the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign organization, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and leader of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae; a former Finance Minister, Nenadi Usman; former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa; former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri; and Okey Ezenwa.

A source at the anti-graft agency, who pleaded not to be named because he is not authorized to speak, told Vanguard that the money was paid by the Central Bank Nigeria into the account of the Ministry of External Affairs Library, from where it was moved into the account of Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited.

The source added: “It was from the Joint Dimension’s account with Zenith Bank that the money was shared to various individuals and organizations for purposes that are not stated.”
Documents cited by this newspaper revealed that Fani-Kayode was the chief beneficiary of the disbursement as he allegedly received N840 million, paid in three tranches into his Zenith Bank, Maitama branch account with No.1004735721.

The first tranche of payment involving N350 million hit the account on February 19, 2015.

Another N250 milion was also paid into the account on February 19, 2015, while N240 million was similarly credited to the account a month later, precisely, March 19, 2015.
The source disclosed that the balance on this account as at December 31, 2015 was N189,402.72.
Next to Fani-Kayode in the order of beneficiaries of the heist is the Goodluck Support Group, which allegedly received N320 million.
Similarly, Chief Falae allegedly received N100 million through Marreco Limited, a company where he is Chairman.

The fund was credited into the company’s United Bank for Africa Plc account No. 1000627022 on March 25, 2014.

Both Achike Udenwa and Viola Onwuliri got N350 million in two tranches.
The first tranche of N150 million was paid into their joint account with Zenith bank on January 13, 2015.
The second tranche of N200 miilion has credited into their account with Diamond bank.
Nenadi Usman took her own share of the booty through her Zenith Bank account no. 1000158311 on 7, Kachia Road, Kaduna.

A princely N36.9 million was credited to her.

Coming at the rear is Okey Ezenwa, who also pocketed N100 million.

The source disclosed that detectives are racking their brains to decipher the motives for the bazaar.

The source said: “But as things stand, the fact that most of the payments were made in the weeks preceding the last presidential election leaves very little to the imagination.”
Yet, one knotty question that confronts the investigators is the figure behind the Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited, the account where the fund was warehoused before being wired to sundry beneficiaries.

The shadowy figure could help unravel the mystery shrouding the payments, once the veil is lifted.

Vanguard.