Corruption: More trouble for Dasuki as $40m disappears; Jonathan speaks

– A negotiation between Boko Haram and the Jonathan administration failed

– $40 million was withdrawn for the failed negotiation

– The whereabouts of the fund is unknown and Sambo Dasuki has been fingered

More details of corrupt transaction seems to be pilling up against the embattled former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki as investigation has begun into the disappearance of $40 million.

Dasuki is facing charges over the misappropriation of $2.1 billion meant for the purchase of arms and has been in detention since 2015.

READ ALSO: How Bello got N300m from Dasuki – witness

The Nation reports that $40 million which is about N13.6 billion was approved by the administration of Goodluck Jonathan to negotiate a ceasefire with Boko Haram and also to release the abducted Chibok girls.

The money was withdrawn for the negotiation but it was later revealed that the terrorist rejected the offer but the whereabouts of the money is unknown.

The federal government has begun a probe into how the money disappeared as it was drawn from the office of the national security adviser.

One report suggested that the money was handed over to the president of a neighbouring country, while another said it was in the ‘custody’ of  a former presidential aide.

A top source said: “The government is probing how about  $40million was allegedly spent by the administration of ex-President Jonathan to ‘negotiate’ with Boko Haram. The cash was allegedly withdrawn from the ONSA account by a former presidential aide.

“The said aide alleged that the cash was routed through the Presidents of a neighbouring country, but preliminary tracking showed that the money might have been diverted.

“Many people have been linked with the negotiation, but the government, through relevant anti-graft agencies, is trying to ascertain the whereabouts of the funds. We have started inviting those connected with the deal for interaction.

“Even the ex-President in January 2016 said in an interview with a news website, Quartz, in Geneva, Switzerland that his administration did not set up any negotiation team.”

Jonathan denied any negotiation with the terrorists which lends more worry into how the withdrawn money got missing.

“I did not negotiate with Boko Haram. The government never set up a team,” Jonathan told Quartz.

Abubakar Shekau who is the leader of Boko Haram said in a video message that he did not have any deal with the government.

READ ALSO: FG explains why it is dangerous to release Dasuki

“We have not made ceasefire with anyone. We did not negotiate with anyone. It’s a lie. It’s a lie. We will not negotiate. What is our business with negotiation? Allah said we should not.”

The source added: “So, there could not have been any sum spent on negotiation with Boko Haram, if there was no deal with the sect. You can see that the ongoing investigation of $15billion arms deal in the ONSA has many dimensions.

“The main objective of the government is to recover the $40million.”

Meanwhile, it seems President Muhammadu Buhari’s war on corruption is yielding result as Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of a Lagos Federal High Court, convicted and sentenced the former Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Mr Raymond Omatseye, to five years imprisonment for contract scam of N1.5billion.

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