Ilorin Airport source confirms landing of aircraft allegedly loaded with Kwara APC election fund
…how Presidency barred EFCC from investigation
By Mumini Abdulkareem and Kayode Adeoti
Following recent reports in the media that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was barred by the presidency from investigating an Ilorin-bound private jet loaded with money to finance the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates election, an official of the Ilorin International Airport has confirmed that the aircraft landed in the Kwara State capital on the eve of the aborted Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The PUNCH had on Saturday reported that the aircraft, which was billed to fly to Ilorin, from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, failed to take off due to the weight of the money on board.
But speaking with our reporter, yesterday, on condition of anonymity, the airport official said a marked flight landed late on the eve of the aborted Presidential and National Assembly elections with security men and sniffer dogs and contents suspected to be money.
He said, “You know a chartered aircraft with registration no N404SA landed at the airport about three days to the aborted election with the Kwara Central Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Yahya Ibrahim Oloriegbe and one Hausa man aboard.
“However on the eve of the Presidential and National Assembly elections which were later cancelled, a NAF aircraft landed late in the night loaded with soldiers, sniffing dogs and content suspected to be money.”
Multiple sources had informed The PUNCH that after the aircraft failed to take off due to the weight of the money on board, the EFCC operatives stormed the plane after a tip-off from some people about the cargo and demanded the source of the money, its owner and destination.
The crew was said to have informed the operatives that the money was meant for election expenses in Kwara State, but the detectives were said to have insisted on taking away the cash haul.
According to the medium sources, “The EFCC operatives interrogated the crew and they claimed they were part of the government. They also gave a code which they assumed the operatives would understand, but the detectives insisted on taking away the money.
“However, a phone call came from the Presidential Villa ordering them to hands off the matter and clear off from the scene. Shortly after, armed soldiers took over the scene and the money was transferred into another plane which took off by 10pm that night.”
However, efforts to get the Public Relations Officer, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, to speak on the aircraft involved in the cash movement as she did not respond to calls to her phone. She also did not respond to a text message sent to her mobile phone.
When contacted by the medium. the acting EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, simply explained that he saw the alleged picture of the said aircraft being shared on the social media, noting that it could have been ‘created and recreated.’
He said, “On the plane-load of cash you asked about, I saw the pictures and we know that these pictures are things that can be manipulated to achieve the purposes by their producers. All the reports from the field are being reviewed and we shall come out with our position once it is ready.”
Orilade added, “Let’s not be carried away by the activities of mischief-makers; like the acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu said, we shall continue to do the right thing to make Nigeria a better country for everyone.”
