Despite the charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions, EFCC, the former Minister of Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has returned to the country.
Obanikoro who was accused of using his children to secure government contracts without executing them, is expected to face interrogation by the EFCC.
The former minister who left the country after former President, Goodluck Jonathan, lost his re-election bid in 2015, has been mentioned in the alleged malpractices in the Ekiti State governorship election in which Ayodele Fayose emerged winner.
Obanikoro has since denied the accusations.
Though his arrival has been confirmed, it is not yet clear when he will appear before the EFCC.
When EFCC officials raided his residence in June, Obanikoro said members of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, were being harassed and they were ready to be martyred if that would bring about good governance.
“The invasion and raid of my residence yesterday by agents of the state is a sad throwback to a tyrannical past that is better forgotten,” he said then.
“In 16 years of democracy, we thought we had conquered despotism for good in Nigeria but in one year, this government has brought it back. Let me reiterate clearly: I have never received any invitation from EFCC over any issue up till date. This invasion, therefore, is premature,” He added.
His wife, Morufat Obanikoro, was interrogated by the Department of State Services, DSS, in July for alleged corruption, but the former minister denied her involvement in any shady deal, and urged the EFCC “to desist from persecuting an innocent woman”.
“For emphasis, the innocent woman has a history of High Blood Pressure and heart-related ailments and as such, she should not be dragged into their biased and politicised investigations,” he had said.
“We have absolute confidence in the judiciary and we hope to get justice in due course with the provision that they obey the rule of law and avoid arbitrariness that we are seeing on daily basis,” he added.
