How I gave Obasanjo $140,000 On behalf of Atiku’s son-in-Law – Witness

An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, Bashir Mohammed told Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos  on Tuesday that he delivered of $140,000 in cash to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on behalf of his “close friend” Abdullahi Babalele, a son-in-law of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar

Babalele who is on trial for allegedly laundering $140,000 in the build-up to the 2019 general election said he got a phone call from Babalele sometime in February, requesting him to deliver a message to “an elder statesman.”

He said on Babalele’s request he supplied two bank accounts, which were credited.

The court heard that the witness took the money to Obasanjo’s residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

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Mohammed said: “When I got to the gate, somebody came and took me inside where I met former President Olusegun Obasanjo and delivered the message. “I called the defendant in the presence of former President Obasanjo and informed him that I had delivered the message. He said that was good and thanked me.”

Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Mohammed affirmed that he wrote a statement at the EFCC office during investigation.

Ozekhome’s bid to tender the statement as an exhibit was, however, opposed by the prosecutor. Justice Aneke adjourned till today to rule on the admissibility of the statement..