I Returned Olisa Metuh’s N25m To EFCC – Sambo’s Aide

A former Political Adviser to Namadi Sambo, Nigeria's ex-Vice-President, Abba Dabo, on Thursday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that he returned to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission the sum of N25m paid to him by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh.

Dabo, who was testifying as the seventh prosecution witness against Metuh, confessed that he returned the money on his own volition in January 2016 due to media publications indicating that it was sourced from funds meant for procurement of arms.

He said the N25m was paid to him through 

Metuh’s firm, Destra Investment Limited’s account, on December 16, 2014, five days after Goodluck Jonathan and Sambo emerged as the PDP’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates in Abuja.

The witness, who is a former Chief Press Secretary to ex-President Shehu Shagari, said he decided to return the money to the EFCC because he could not reach Metuh, who was then in the custody of the anti-graft agency.

He said, “Unfortunately, there were reports in the media on this transaction with Chief Metuh linking it to controversial circumstances. I mean it was identified that Chief Metuh paid the N25m into my account through his company and that the source of the money was from the arms deal that was being discussed generally in the country.

“As a result of that publication, we thought we needed to explain, and because it was paid to my personal account , in my name, I decided to make a refund, and I paid it to the EFCC, because I couldn’t reach Mr. Metuh that particular time.

“The newspapers were awash with the story that linked the money given to me to the arms money that was said to have been diverted to other uses by the Office of the National Security Adviser. On my own volition, I decided that the best way out of the rigmarole was to pay back the amount. I paid it back to EFCC.”

Justice Abang adjourned till Monday for further trial.

Olisa Metuh was at the court when all the revelations were made. More witnesses still waiting to speak.