Olisa Metuh: buys Banana Island property for N500m

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh might have received extra $2 million from former National Security Adviser (NSA) retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, an investigator from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said today.

Junaid Sa’aid,  was giving testimony at the  Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Okon Abang. He said part of the money was funnelled into acquiring a N500 million landed property in Banana Island in Lagos.

He was asked during  cross examination by defence counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) whether Metuh received any amount, beside the N400m his company Destra Investment Ltd got from Dasuki.

Sa’aid  replied that investigation showed that Dasuki on November 27, 2014 withdrew N10 billion from the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) and converted it to $47 million and shared it during the party’s national convention.

“My lord, the $2million given to Nneka Ararume four days later, is strongly linked to that disbursement,” he said.

Earlier Sa’aid had told the court that  Metuh diverted N50m out of the N400m given to him by  Dasuki, for “security services” to purchase landed property at Banana Island in Lagos.

Sa’ad, who was presented by the EFCC as its eighth witness in the case, said “Investigation revealed that after payment of N400m by ONSA, a total sum of N366m was paid into the same account by one Kabiru Ibrahim, who also paid in N150m; Capital Field Investment Limited paid in N91m, and one Eyitonye, paid in N82m.

“These funds formed the naira equivalent of $2m, which the first defendant (Metuh) gave to one Nneka Ararume in cash.

“Investigations revealed that all this money was used for PDP campaign activities and for personal use by the first defendant. The money used for PDP campaign activities were from the sum of N400m. Among the disbursement made, the sum of N77.5m was paid to CMC connect for campaign activities; the sum of N25m was paid to Abba Dabo for campaign activities; and the sum of N21.7m was paid to Chief Tony Anenih. Another sum of N5m was discovered to have been paid to Chief Kema Chikwe, and the sum of N50m was found to have been transferred to a joint account of the first defendant and his wife.

“The sum of N500m was also discovered to have been transferred to Daniel Ford International Limited in two tranches of N200m and N300m for the purpose of buying landed property at Banana Island, Lagos, by Metuh.

Tearing of Statement

“In the course of the investigation, the team visited the residence of the first defendant and invited him to the commission. He was interviewed. After the interview, he was asked if he was willing to volunteer a statement in writing. He said, ‘yes’. When he concluded writing his statement, which was in four sheets, he handed them over to us. I read what he had written. I also gave it to my other team members to read. After that, I returned it to him for endorsement.

“He endorsed the first sheet, he endorsed the second sheet; when he was to endorse the third sheet in which he had stated that the money he received from ONSA was used for PDP campaign activities to settle his personal debts, to the surprise of the team he suddenly tore the sheet. The pieces of the torn sheets were then recovered from him and registered as exhibit.”