Reuben Abati, detained former presidential spokesman, has made a U-turn barely a week after offering to refund N5 million out of N50 million he allegedly received from Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser.

This follows a report on Premium Times that the former president Goodluck Jonathan’s spokesman on Thursday, November 3, told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he does not have any money to refund to the government.

According to sources within the agency, Abati told interrogators that he had no immediate means of sourcing the amount for which he is being detained.
One of the source told Premium Times: “We thought he would be able to pay N5 million yesterday, but it turned out that he doesn’t have any money.”
Another source also disclosed that Abati had met his bail conditions since Friday, but the EFCC had refused to release him.

Recall that the EFCC had on
October 26 granted Abati an administrative bail, and required as one of the conditions for his release, a surety of the level of director in the federal civil service.

And according to the source, those conditions were met on Friday, October 28, but the EFCC failed to release him because of the stalemate over the N50 million.

However, it was gathered that EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, is yet to make a comment on the Abati meeting the anti-graft bail conditions as at the time of filing this report.

Abati has been in EFCC detention since turning himself in last week Monday, October 24.

The EFCC is accusing Abati of receiving N50 million from Dasuki, an allegation which he confessed to.
The money was part of $2.1 billion allocated for purchase of arms for the fight against Boko Haram.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxuSE2BbEcQ
Apart from being unable to refund the money, Abati also allegedly told investigators that he could not provide documentary evidence showing how he spent the N50 million.

Abati reportedly said he disbursed the money as cash and material gifts to journalists during the 2015 campaign.

Asked to name names of media practitioners who benefited from the largess, Abati said he did not keep such records.

Source: http://www.lagosmp3.com/2016/11/03/abati-makes-u-turn-n5m-refund-efcc/

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