Arms Deal: THISDAY Publisher Nduka Obaigbena Returns N350m to EFCC

The Publisher and Editor in Chief of THISDAY Newspapers, Nduka Obaigbena, has reportedly returned the sum of N350m to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), according to reports.

This represents more than half of the N670m he is believed to have received from the office of former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

Obaigbena was said to have paid the money to the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, February 2.

Of the N670m, Obaigbena revealed that N120m was given to the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria as compensation for losses incurred during the military clampdown on newspaper houses in 2015 while N550m was given to Thisday newspaper as compensation for the 2013 bombing of the Thisday premises in Kaduna and Abuja.

The anti-graft agency subsequently released him, after signing an undertaking to refund the money in two weeks.

A top operative of the EFCC was quoted to have said that Obaigbena would pay an outstanding N200m next week, after the initial payment of N350m.

“The Publisher of ThisDay Newspaper, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, has returned N350m out of the N670m he received from the ONSA.”

Obaigbena’s 14-day period of grace to repay the money he received from Dasuki’s office, expires next week Tuesday, February 9.