Almost one month after his invitation by the anti-graft agency, the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to answer questions on
alleged involvement in the $2.1 billion arms purchase scandal, Nduka
Obaigbena, publisher of Thisday newspaper and Chairman of the Newspapers
Proprietors Association of Nigeria, will honour the invitation on
Tuesday, a source close to the media mogul said on Monday night.
Obaigbena
was alleged to have been given N670 million out of the $2.1 billion
meant for the purchase of arms to fight the Boko Haram insurgency by the
office of a former National Security Adviser, retired Colonel Sambo
Dasuki.
He has however defended the deployment of the money,
stating that N550 million of the fund was for the loss he suffered when
Boko Haram terrorists bombed the office of Thisday in Abuja, while N120
million was for 12 newspapers whose operations were disrupted by the
military.
However, some of the 12 newspapers have distanced themselves from the money.
Peoples Media Limited, the publishers of the newspaper Peoples Daily,
disassociated themselves from the group of 12 newspapers that allegedly
received N10 million each from the former National Security Advisor
(NSA) Sambo Dasuki, while Punch Newspapers not only dissociates itself
from the scam, also went ahead to withdraw its membership of NPAN.
It
was gathered that Obaigbena, said to have returned to Nigeria after an
extensive stay abroad, arrived Monday night and was said to have made up
his mind to honour the invitation extended to him by the EFCC on
Tuesday.
It was gathered that he had delegated more powers to the
Managing Director of the newspaper, Eniola
Bello, to enable Thisday run
optimally in case he is detained.
Some of the high profile
personalities that have honoured the invitation of the EFCC on the
issues, including Dasuki, are still in detention.
A former
Chairman of Daar Communications Plc, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, was
also alleged to have collected N2.1 billion out of the money.
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