Adariko Michael, an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigating officer, says the sum of N2.2 billion was spent by Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA), and Aminu Baba-Kusa, a former general manager of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), on prayers to defeat Boko Haram.
Dasuki, Baba-Kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited are alleged to have been involved in the diversion of over $2 billion meant for purchase of arms to fight insurgency in the north-east.
The anti-graft agency had preferred a 32-count charge against the defendants bordering on misappropriation and criminal breach of trust among others.
Testifying before Husseini Baba-Yusuf, a judge of the Abuja federal high court, on Tuesday, Michael said on different occasions, funds were sent from a special account of the NSA to the other defendants.
The EFCC official said N750 million was sent to Reliance Referral Hospital and N650 million was sent to Acacia Holdings.
He said Acacia Holdings later received separate sums of N600 million and N200 million, respectively.
“Between September 27, 2013, and April 16, 2015, N50 million was credited to Reliance Referral Hospital’s account,” NAN quoted the EFCC official as saying.
“Based on responses from the banks involved, we found out that money was transferred to several individuals and companies.
“When we went through the account statement, we asked the second defendant (Aminu Baba-Kusa) the reason for this. He informed us that the money was used to hire clerics to pray for the nation as regards the Boko Haram crisis.
“When we asked him to provide the names, contacts and phone numbers of the clerics he hired to pray for the nation, he mentioned only two.”
After listening to the submission by the anti-graft agency, Baba-Yusuf adjourned the matter till November 11.
Dasuki was arrested in 2015 and released on bail in 2019.
