Dasuki Gate: N2.2 billion spent for prayers against Boko Haram – EFCC

An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, investigating officer, Adariko Michael, on Tuesday, alleged that N2.2 billion was spent on prayers in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia to win the war against Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria.

He was giving evidence as to the first prosecution witness (PW1) in the trial of Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser, ONSA, to President Goodluck Jonathan, in the alleged two billion dollars arms deal fraud.

Others charged with Mr. Dasuki, a retired colonel, are a former General Manager with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Aminu Baba-kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited, and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.

They were charged with 32 counts bordering on misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, dishonest release, and receiving various sums of money before Husseini Baba-Yusuf.

“Between September 27, 2013, and April 16, 2015, N50 million was credited to Reliance Referral Hospital’s account. Based on responses from the banks involved, as investigating officers, 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 Babakusa) 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,” he said.