Sanusi, Sultan of Sokoto caught up in arms deal

The Leader of the Northern Elders Council, NEC, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai has admitted that he and 8 other prominent northerners received the sum of N53 million from the Former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki through the Former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustee Chairman, Tony Anenih.
He added that the money was meant for advocacy visit to traditional rulers in the region for them to mobilize their subjects in order for the 2015 general elections to be hitch free.

This came barely 24 hours after Anenih wrote a letter to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, disclosing that he gave Yakasai N53 million.

Yakasai on Wednesday, January 6, 2015 confirmed to Vanguard that, “yes, myself and 8 others collected N53m from Chief Tony Anenih to pay advocacy visit to prominent northern emirs to mobilise their subjects for a hitch-free 2015 general elections”.

He explained that the development followed a request by Anenih to make available to him a list of “nine apolitical but respected individuals from the North.”

He declared that the N53m disbursed to his team by Anenih took care of the group members’ allowances, transportation and hotels accommodation on a tour that took them to 18 states in the North.

He maintained that, “I want to make it abundantly clear that I didn’t received money from Chief Anenih in my private capacity as Tanko Yakasai but to patriotic individuals who are interested in the peaceful coexistence of the polity.”

Yakasai, who insisted that the fund had nothing to do with campaigns for former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s re-election bid, listed former Minister of state, foreign Affairs, Alhaji Mamman Anka, Barrister Bitrus Gwada and Alhaji Suleiman Lawal as beneficiaries of the money doled out by Anenih.

He named other top apolitical but respected northern individual beneficiaries to include: Dr Bahago, Chief John Macklink from Plateau, and Senator Sodangi.

Yakasai, disclosed that his team visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris and the Emir of Gwandu.

Other first class chief visited were listed as: the emir of Anka, Emir of Ilorin, Emir of Nassarawa, Minnie, Bauchi, Zuru, Kebbi, Katsina, Dutse, Hadejia and Representatives of the Emir of Daurawa, as well as the Tor Tiv, the Gwom Gbom Jos, Ohimege Igu, Kotonkarfe, Etsu of Abaji, Etsu Nupe and Atta of Igala.

It is yet unclear if the names mentioned above were recipient of parts of the N53 million disbursed. Yakasai had last week denied ever receiving financial patronage from members of the previous administration during an interview, stressing that he didn’t receive money’s directly from the former President Goodluck Jonathan.