Obanikoro and Omisore have their passports returned by EFCC allowing them to travel

FORMER defence minister Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Osun State Senator Iyiola Omisore have had their international passports returned to them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) despite being under investigation.

Both men had their passports seized after the EFCC obtained court orders to this effect as they were facing corruption charges as part of the government's clampdown on graft. Yesterday, however, both men surprisingly had their passports returned despite a directive by the federal government that 50 persons under investigations for fraud exceeding N50m are restricted from travelling.

Senator Obanikoro has been under investigation since 2016 for allegedly receiving N4.7bn from the embattled former national security adviser Col Sambo Dasuki in 2014. One EFCC source said that Senator Obanikoro, who has an American passport and a Nigerian one, met certain conditions before his passports were returned to him.

“Obanikoro was able to return over N100m out of the money he received from Dasuki and he showed genuine commitment to returning more money and assist the EFCC with investigations, so his passports were returned to him. The fact that the commission returned the passports to him does not mean that he has been cleared.”

In 2014, the former minister allegedly handed over about N1.3bn to former Ekiti State governor Ayo Fayose and another N1.3bn to the then Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Osun State in 2014 Senator Iyiola Omisore. After Governor Fayose was arrested by the EFCC last Tuesday, however, it was learnt that Senator Obanikoro travelled to the US.

“Obanikoro travelled out on Wednesday evening, saying he wanted to go for medical treatment. He gave no date when he would return,” the source added.

Since his arrest, however, Senator Obanikoro, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), had declared his intention to run for the Lagos West Senatorial District seat but shelved his ambition at the last minute. He is expected to be a prosecution witness when Governor Fayose is arraigned in court.

Senator Omisore for his part was arrested by the EFCC in 2016 for allegedly receiving money from Col Dasuki through Senator Obanikoro. He subsequently returned N300m to the EFCC but his passport was seized by the commission.

However, senator Omisore had written to the EFCC, requesting that his passport be returned to him so that he could travel for medical treatment but his request was turned down. Senator Omisore, who recently contested the Osun State governorship election, entered into an undisclosed agreement with the APC after the polls were originally declared inconclusive.

He was reported to have entered into a series of negotiations with the APC leadership to support the APC candidate Gboyega Oyetola but the details of the negotiations were never made public. It was during the negotiations with the leadership of the APC that Senator Omisore was said to have recovered his passport from the anti-graft agency.

Jide Fakorede, Senator Omisore's spokesman recently said that his boss was no longer under investigation by the EFCC and that he was free to travel. He added:  “Senator Iyiola Omisore was wrongly accused in 2016 and he surrendered himself to the EFCC for investigation and was given a clean bill of health by the anti-graft body after a thorough investigation.

“It is on record that no case was instituted against him in any court of our land and neither was he arraigned before any court either. He has been enjoying his freedom and has even presented himself for election into public office passing through all security screenings, so we ask, what is the noise about?"