Few days after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo described grand corruption as the elephant in the room when discussing the Nigerian economy, more compelling details are emerging showing how several tranches of funds were illegally removed from the public till by the Jonathan administration specifically ahead of the 2015 presidential elections.

Besides, some new but dramatic details of how some of the funds were illegally transported from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the private residence of former President Goodluck Jonathan have now emerged.

In that particular case, the National Security Adviser in Jonathan’s administration, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, allegedly personally supervised the physical transfer of the money from the CBN vaults to the private residence of the former President.

In one particular instance, over N70 billion was released in parts from the national treasury between January 8 and February 25, 2015.

The over $289 million, which was also referenced last week by the Vice President, was said to be included in this particular series of illegal transactions.

Besides, in another illegal disbursement, the minutes of the CBN Board meeting of August 25, 2014 indicated the board’s okay of another N60 billion requested by the former President and released later by the Bank.

A Presidency source said the sum, which was okayed by the CBN Board, was not tied to any project or procurement and was meant and disbursed purely for campaign purposes through the office of the then NSA and the leadership of the Department of State Services at the time.

Specifically, the N60 billion that was okayed by the CBN on August 25, 2014 was said to have been shared between the Office of the NSA and the DSS.

While the NSA’s office got N40 billion, N20 billion went to the DSS.

While some of these newly emerging fund disbursements have been traced to Dasuki, there are indications that some of the funds are unconnected to the ongoing Defence contract trials of the former NSA.

Osinbajo in a recent speech had alleged that weeks to the 2015 election during the administration of Jonathan, about N100 billion was released and embezzled.

He also disclosed that about $289 million was disbursed illegally about the same time.

It has now been revealed that the $289 million mentioned by the Vice President was released on February 25, 2015

Documents, including cash vouchers, indicate that $289,202,382 was released in cash to the National Intelligence Agency by the CBN from the Joint Venture Cash Call Account No. 000-0000-11658-366 of the NNPC/NAPIMS with JP Morgan Chase Bank, New York, USA.

At the exchange rate then of $199 to a naira, $289 million is equivalent to about N60 billion.

But had the money not been stolen, it would be at today’s rate over N104 billion.
Further findings showed that in yet another set of illegal fund withdrawals about one week between January 8 and 16, 2015, the sum of N1.5 billion was released in three tranches of N300 million, N400 million and N800 million respectively.

“This money was released from the MEA Research Library Account to the Jointrust Dimension reportedly owned by Danjuma Yusuf and Nenadi Esther Usman,” an official source with knowledge of the transaction disclosed.

The source further said the sum was transferred to their various political associates, which included a former Minister of Aviation and spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation for the 2015 polls, Femi Fani-Kayode.

Further findings showed that N350 million was allegedly transferred to Fani-Kayode through his Zenith Bank Account No. 1004735721 on February 2, 2015.

Also, another N250 million was allegedly transferred to Fani-Kayode through the same Zenith Bank Account on February 19, 2015.

A document further showed that yet another N10 billion was released to the Office of the National Security Adviser by the CBN on September 15, 2014.

The money was said to have been released in tranches of foreign exchange of $47 million, $5 million, 4 million Euros and 1.6 million Euros.

A letter from the Office of the NSA in November 2014 further showed that the monies were released by the CBN as “funds for special services”.

“Further to our discussion, you are pleased requested to provide the sum of Forty Seven Million United States Dollars (USD47,000,000,00) cash out of the Ten Billion Naira (N10,000,000,000,00) and the balance in Euro to this office for special services,” a letter signed by the former NSA read.

Findings have shown that this particular CBN release of N10 billion was sourced in November 2014 from a N40 billion CBN released funds meant for Corporate Social Responsibility.

It was this N10 billion that former President Jonathan allegedly instructed the CBN Governor and the then NSA to deliver to him personally in a private residence in Abuja.

Sources said the money was illegally transferred using CBN van for the use of “PDP Presidential Primaries”.