I collected only $40m from Dasuki- Jonathan's cousin

Robert Azibaola, the cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan, has said he collected only $40m from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki. Azibaola, who is the Managing Director of OnePlusHoldings, said the money was for pipeline surveillance and to curb crude oil theft.

Azibaola, who was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, said the Federal Government still owed him $4m and asked the government to pay him.

He said, “I was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on March 23 in respect of my company’s dealings with the Federal Government. It is a fact that in 2014 government was in dire strait over its revenue shortfall as a result of massive crude oil theft onshore and offshore in the Niger Delta and urgently needed to shore it up. The Federal Government was, therefore, left with no choice but to fashion out alternative ways of dealing with the situation. It was at that point that I met with the then General Owoeye Azazi (a former National Security Adviser, NSA), and his successor, Col Sambo Dasuki, to explore ways of dealing with the decline in revenues of the Federal Government. I had been involved in the Niger Delta having been the leader of the ND-HERO and doing extensive environmental and humanitarian work in the Niger Delta long before this new-brand of militancy, economic sabotage took roots. Indeed, the goal of  government in dealing with the challenge posed by oil thieves was both short-term and long-term.  The initial discussion was for $60 million  operations over a six-month timeframe. However, they eventually agreed to start off with $40 million, with 10% honorarium (that is, $4m) to be paid at the end of the operations to Oneplus Holdings, my company. The $4m honorarium is still outstanding even after the assignment had been successfully executed and which had significantly improved the revenue profile of  government by at least a billion dollars in additional revenue. Surprisingly, on Monday,  March 21, the EFCC invaded my office and took away the Senior Finance Manager, Mr Ndubuisi Dike. EFCC invaded my home  same day at about 8pm when my family was asleep and demanded to open the door or they break it down. They threatened to arrest my wife and take her away that night. On Wednesday, March 23, my wife and I honoured the EFCC verbal invitation based on several pleas on the night of the invasion that we would voluntarily appear. Since then, the company’s Executive Director in charge of Projects, Mr. Dakoru Atukpa, and I have been dumped in the EFCC detention without charge or bail and requesting refund of the $40m  which has been  expended for the assignment and from which Nigeria has reaped ten-fold benefits.