Senator Musiliu Obanikoro

A former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has said that he is not on the run from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone, Obanikoro, who recently bagged a degree in History from an American university, said he was not a fugitive running away from justice.

Obanikoro, who debunked newspaper reports suggesting that he fled the country in order to evade the ongoing $2.1 arms probe by the EFCC, stressed that the reports were in the realm of speculation.

A text by Obanikoro read, “To begin with, no allegation has been made against me officially that I know of. Therefore, I have no reason to run. I know for sure that all the accusations in the media are in the realm of speculation.”

Shortly after former President Goodluck Jonathan lost his re-election bid last year, Obanikoro said he was going to pursue an academic course in the US, stressing that life was not all about politics.

“That’s politics for you; you win some, you lose some. And there’s life after politics. I’m going to the US to pursue a degree,” he had said.

Troops battling the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East of the country protested unavailability of arms and ammunition, a situation that military authorities frowned on.

This led to the trial of some top military officers and men, some of whom were found guilty and sentenced to death. A number of the protesting soldiers also suffered demotion.

A former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, was charged in December in connection with the arms probe.

Dasuki was accused of awarding phantom contracts to buy helicopters, fighter jets and ammunition, which he denied.

Twelve senior Nigerian army officers were handed over to the anti-corruption agency for their alleged involvement in the arms scandal.

The army did not name them, but said they included six serving generals.

Army spokesman, Colonel Sani Usman, said the 12 officers referred to the EFCC included three serving major-generals, one retired major-general, three brigadier-generals, four colonels and a lieutenant-colonel.

It is yet to be seen whether the Lagos-born former senator would visit Nigeria after the completion of his degree.