The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said that it has found a credit entry of N1.76bn in the account of one Abdullahi Maigwandu Bagudu,younger brother of Tanimu Turaki,a former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs under Preseident Goodluck Jonathan.
The Anti-Graft Agency said it immediately suspected money laundering when it found out that Bagudu whose account the money was found earns N33,000 as monthly salary,
The EFCC noted that after it did its cash work analysis, network analysis and realised that Bagudu cannot be the owner of the account, it found out that the account was actually managed by the former minister.
At the trial of Turaki on Wednesday, before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court,Abuja, the EFCC Prosecution witness,Bello Hamma Adama, told the Court that finds earmarked for the sensitization of moslem youths were redirected to the account of Turaki’s wife.Halima.
Bello said that N359,104,000 was paid into the account of the Minister of Special Duties for the sensitization of Muslims to the achievements of Jonathan but the money was disbursed suspiciously, which led the EFCC to follow the trial
According to him, the balance of N159,104,000 from the account of the Ministry of Special Duties was transferred to different individuals with the narration”Sensitization including one Abdullahi Maigwandu Bagudu who got N45million, another Abdulrahman Yusuf got N50million,Samson Okpeti, the second defendant got N20 million while another got N30million.
Bello said Turaki’s wife is only a housewife and has never done any contract or sensitisation exercise for the Ministry of Special Duties.
The former Minister,his special assistant, Sampson Okpetu,and two companies are standing trial on 16 counts charge of fraud.
The trial has been adjourned till February 9 and 10,2021
