EFCC confirms return of N650m by former minister Olajumoke Akinjide

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday told the Federal High Court in Lagos that former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Jumoke Akinjide, returned N650 million she allegedly received ahead of the 2015 election.

She was arraigned along with a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Oyo State, Olanrewaju Otiti, a  chief, a former Senator representing Oyo Central Ayo Adeseun and a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is said to be at large.

The EFCC accused them of conspiring to directly take possession of N650 million, which they reasonably ought to have known was part of proceeds of an unlawful act and without going through a financial institution.

An EFCC investigator Usman Zakari, while testifying in a trial-within-trial to determine the truthfulness of the defendants’ statements, said his team received N10 million bank draft from Akinjide’s husband, Aliyu Pategi, out of the N650 million traced to her and others.