Publisher of ThisDay Newspapers, Nduka Obaigbena has written the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to explain the N550 million and N130 million payments he received from the Office of the National Security Adviser under the tenure of Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).

Obaigbena explained that the N550 million paid to ThisDay was compensation from the Federal Government as a result of the deadly attack by Boko Haram on its facilities in the Spring of 2012. He estimated the damage done to be worth over N2.5 billion.

Obaigbena is currently in the United States and has promised to honour the EFCC request upon his return.

THE FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER

The Executive Chairman,

The Economic & Financial Crimes C omission,

5, Fomella Street,

Wuse 11, Abuja,

Nigeria.

Attention: OLAOLU ADEGBITE, MFR. RE: LETTER OF INVITATION.

Please refer to your letter of invitation dated 8th November 2015, which was received in our Abuja Office on the 8th of December 2015.

I am currently in the United States of America on my way back to Nigeria to honour your invitation, but I feel it necessary to make the following statements prior to my arrival in Nigeria:

1. We have never received any suspicious funds from the Office of the National Security Adviser. ALL funds received from the Office of the National Security Adviser were PAYMENTS for COMPENSATION to MITIGATE the following:

1.1. N150,000,000 + N150,000,000 and N250,000,000 respectively received in August, November and February 2014 as compensation to mitigate the dastardly Boko Haram twin bombings of the THISDAY NEWSPAPERS offices in Abuja and Kaduna on Thursday April 26, 2012, during which 4 innocent Nigerian lives were lost, our buildings destroyed and we lost full colour Goss printing towers and three (3) pre-press Computer-To-Plate and anxiliary equipments and other (in)valuable property valued at over N2.5 BILLION. This is aside from daily costs to pay 3rd party printers of over N1 Billion having lost our printing facility to terrorist due to inadequate protection by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The bombing of THISDAY offices followed the Abuja United Nations Building bombing for which the Federal Government has so far spent N3 Billion for reconstruction and much more earmarked for furnishing;

1.2. N100,000,000 and N20,000,000 received in March 2015 for The Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and 12 newspapers who demanded compensation for the brutal and unlawful seizure of newspapers and stoppage of circulation by armed soldiers in Abuja and several cities. As President of the NPAN, it was my duty to lead media leaders to hold discussions with President Goodluck Jonathan to avert a class action lawsuit against the Armed Forces and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

2. On both occasions, President Jonathan said he did not wish to lay precedence and in our case, he specifically said there were many victims of Boko Haram. I had to confront President Jonathan on the issue when I learnt of approvals for the reconstruction of the Abuja United Nations Building, since we were the second major organisation to be attacked by Boko Haram after the UN attack. He therefore directed me to meet the National Security Adviser who processed the 3 payments in question. Please find attached a copy of our letter to President Jonathan as well as correspondence with the then NSA on the Newspapers’ payment. I will be making my way to Nigeria to meet with you should you require further information.


Thank you.

Nduka Obaigbena


Chairman & Editor-in-Chief,

THISDAY NEWSPAPERS GROUP.

http://www.forumspotz.ng/thisday-publisher-writes-efcc-explanation-on-funds-he-received-from-dasuki-read/

You go fear threat.

But wait o, Na where all these recovered money according to EFCC and FG dey go since?

Lie lie everywhere you go.

Recovered this, have recovered that and the poor masses are still suffering.

They tried all their best to pin the insurgency on APC....

Now APC is in power....that line is no more selling. ..


Theynow scream APC promised to end the menace in so and so months.

They want Angel Buhari to perform Mircacles in few months ober something sponsored and allowed to thrive by the immediate past President

Seun all my threads about BH you banned me about and hid.. .I hope you can see I am now vindicated.

I have lost friends and colleagues to this battle. Battle allowed by Jonathan, Dansuki and PDP to thrive just for enrichment and political purposes. Immagine how many lives would have been saved if the money was used for what it was meant for....

THE BLOOD OF THE SOLDIERS,OFFICERS AND OTHER SECURITY APPARATUS INCLUDING INNOCENT CIVILIANS WILL HUNT THIS DEMONS TO THEIR DEATH.

In between.....Why is there no This Day Festival again

Now I know why Jabi office of Thisday was bombed. Criminals

Did any court in Nigeria sanction all these compensation?

Compensation indeed
CAPITAL THIEVING THIEVES

This does not even make sense from Nduka.
1. Why is government paying a private firm for boko haram destroying its building. For the UN house, it makes sense to help its rebuilding. It's an international agency and we hosting them. If nduka is paid, why won't fg pay off market owners whose shops were blown off by bh or the cars that were destroyed in the nyanya bombing.
Okay, let's say govt had to pay, who estimated the cost? To come to that amount. Why was it not made public?
Why not thisday corporate account. Why cash and why not help in rebuilding only.
2. The seizure of papers and threat of class action.
Is Jonathan the attorney general, why he will ask for the case to be dropped.

This explanation is not acceptable. Who will compensate those who lost their lives and valuable properties in the Nyanyan, Emab plaza and Kuje bombings?

Funny enough, Bornu and other worst hit North eastern states have not gotten any compensation but Nduka whose property was partially damaged already got N550million compensation.

This is just so unfair especially when the funds being shared should have been used to procure equipment for our soldiers fighting almost bare handed against boko haram terrorists.

GEJ and Dasuki should be locked up and treated like war criminals. They have committed serious crimes against humanity.

I know all Pro-Buhari will be rejoicing now by the activities of EFCC. I just want to state few points.
1. We hope this probe will be extended to Politicians in the APC because irrespective of what people say now the three most corrupt politicians in the Country today is Atiku, Obasanjo & Tinubu and they are all in APC at the moment. I can't say who is most corrupt I just arranged them alphabetically but however you arrange it you will be correct.
2. While I supported Goodluck for re election I never gave him a clean bill of health in terms of corruption but Goodluck's achievements in every sector from economy to Elections will make me vote him over any Presidential aspirant anyday anytime. He might have out of desperation for re election dverted public funds but its still left to be handled by the court.
3. I can never support a Buhari that is planning to share 500billion to almajiris when we have infrastructure that will in turn transform the country to fix. Developed economies never shared money, they created an environment for the economy to grow and in turn create opportunities to the poor which is what we want not sharing money and eating our future.
Meanwhile until Buhari starts probing Halliburton and others I'll take his kwarraption fight serious.

Hmmmmmm bail out lol,see how everybody dey share blood money,I don't know why you guys dey complain of this stories wey never start,been too long

Na wa!!!

Office of the NSA has now been turned into an insurance company that pays claims for losses.

Nduka must cough out that money whether he likes it or not!!

afterall Thisday is not more important than the common men and women whose businesses were lost due to Boko haram bombings all over Nigeria

KwoiZabo:
I know all Pro-Buhari will be rejoicing now.

Nothing to rejoice about in all these news. In fact, most Nigerians should be sad over the gross abuse of office by individuals that were trusted with managing the resources of the country. It's a shame for the country and that's why everybody involved in this scandal must be tried and punished. That is the only way we can save face as a nation. If Dasuki and co get away unpunished, the joke is then on the Nigerian citizenry.

The country was severely looted under Jona!

No wonder Pastor Tunde Bakare said Jonathan's destiny was to bankrupt Nigeria.

Sad!

wahala don burst nah

seunmsg:



Nothing to rejoice about in all these news. In fact, most Nigerians should be sad over the gross abuse of office by individuals that were trusted with managing the resources of the country. It's a shame for the country and that's why everybody involved in this scandal must be tried and punished. That is the only way we can save face as a nation. If Dasuki and co get away unpunished, the joke is then on the Nigerian citizenry.

Everybody including OBJ Tinubu Atiku Amaechi & Co

I wish you never ridicule yourself just like u did by releasing this indicating letter to the public rather quickly go to efcc and get ur self good lawyers am sure ur explanation is different from the ring leader aka dasuki. Perhaps you think is gej is still president for your information is pmb. thieving media house,jail time waiting thisday forfeit to federal government.how many nigeria who lost there lives has being compensated before now. End time thisday.

cc: Lalasticlala

Na wa o, Office of the National Security Adviser has become an Insurance Agency to pay compensation for private properties destroyed by Boko Haram. What of all the other thousands of villagers whose properties has been destroyed by Boko Haram, did the NSA pay them also? Is Nduka Obaigbena telling us that Thisday's properties are not insured and that the office of the National Security Adviser would pay for all, thefts and damages to their properties?

Why would the office of the National Security Adviser pay for damages for seizure of newspaper by (suspected) armed soldiers? how did they arrive at the amount for compensation? Was the case case taken to court or the national security adviser is now a civil court awarding damages against itself. Is this the first time newspapers has been seized in Nigeria? Is it even the first time thisday newspaper has been seized and destroyed by government agencies?

So dasuki is now national insurance adviser

I hope all the telcos whose facilities were attacked by bh have gotten paid

Ditto for all the companies that lost profits.

Nduka berra find his way back. No need for crating, Interpol will do the needful.

wirinet:
Na wa o, Office of the National Security Adviser has become an Insurance Agency to pay compensation for private properties destroyed by Boko Haram. What of all the other thousands of villagers whose properties has been destroyed by Boko Haram, did the NSA pay them also? Is Nduka Obaigbena telling us that Thisday's properties are not insured and that the office of the National Security Adviser would pay for all, thefts and damages to their properties?

Why would the office of the National Security Adviser pay for damages for seizure of newspaper by (suspected) armed soldiers? how did they arrive at the amount for compensation? Was the case case taken to court or the national security adviser is now a civil court awarding damages against itself. Is this the first time newspapers has been seized in Nigeria? Is it even the first time thisday newspaper has been seized and destroyed by government agencies?

Did they also pay the economist and the nation?

So mr Nduka Obaigbena did not have insurance?

Na waoooo.

If you don't confess, you will drop and die

so it is true ? I was secretly hoping that it will all be a lie. I was hoping it is a case of witch hunting like PDP want us to believe. So it's true that Jonathan was just sharing our collective wealth among his cronies? And somebody wanted us to vote GEJ again . GEJ need to apologize to Nigerians

stupid explanation. This guy Obaigbena is a confirmed rogue. why didnt he report the story then in Thisday newspaper that he has been paid by FG for the attacks? Afterall, he alerted Nigerians when the office was bombed and when his papers were destroyed?

Classic case of Nigeria. Separate laws for the rich.

Yes you were compensated, why have the other thousands of Nigerians who lost their lives and properties not been compensated.

My Dad's cousin was made a widow with a young daughter because of boko haram yet nothing was paid to her.

IDP camps are an eyesore, families of slain soldiers are not adequately compensated yet they give 100 million today and 200 million tomorrow to the rich.

There was a country...

koboko69:
They tried all their best to pin the insurgency on APC....
Now APC is in power....that line is no more selling. ..
Theynow scream APC promised to end the menace in so and so months.
They want Angel Buhari to perform Mircacles in few months ober something sponsored and allowed to thrive by the immediate past President
Seun all my threads about BH you banned me about and hid.. .I hope you can see I am now vindicated.
I have lost friends and colleagues to this battle. Battle allowed by Jonathan, Dansuki and PDP to thrive just for enrichment and political purposes. Immagine how many lives would have been saved if the money was used for what it was meant for....
THE BLOOD OF THE SOLDIERS,OFFICERS AND OTHER SECURITY APPARATUS INCLUDING INNOCENT CIVILIANS WILL HUNT THIS DEMONS TO THEIR DEATH.
In between.....Why is there no This Day Festival again

Even till now, if I were a mod, I will ban u.

Ur brain mata ar better served as mayonnaise n cheese...

With the kind of news trickling down from EFCC Nigerians may be forced to deal with these people ourselves. They deserve jungle justice.

See explanation o. This man will join Dokpesi, there's no way he'll escape prison.

V

Youdonmeanit!

Idontbelieveit!

InvestigationContinua!

Abagworo:
With the kind of news trickling down from EFCC Nigerians may be forced to deal with these people ourselves. They deserve jungle justice.

i tell you! These court appearances they delay things...or media ruckus