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Otunla, Oyo-born Former AGF Returns N6.3bn To FG Coffers to Avoid Prosecution



An Oyo-born former Accountant-General of the Federation (AG-F) Jonah Ogunniyi Otunla, has returned N6.3 billion to the coffers of the Federal Government to avoid prosecution.

Otunla who is a native of Atisbo local government area of Oyo state was the Accountant-General of the Federation between 2011 and 2015.

Report revealed that Otunla returned N6,392,000,000.00.

Details of the deals leading to the refunds are included in documents Otunla filed in court to substantiate the suits they instituted against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

In the suits, he questioned the ruling of the anti-graft agencies who remained adamant on arraigning them on corruption charges after they were told to make refunds instead of prosecution.


The Ex-AGF claimed that the now-suspended acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, guaranteed him that he would not face the wrath of the law if he returned the money traced to him, his companies, and his associates.

He revealed that in 2015, he was invited by a team of EFCC investigators, investigating the alleged diversion of funds from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) pension funds.

Otunla said he had a meeting with Magu during the investigation when the then acting EFCC chair told him to “refund the monies linked to your companies and nobody will prosecute you.”

He said based on Magu’s promise, he had a reconciliatory meeting with the investigator, where he made available some funds as refunds.

According to the agreement, Otunla said one of the companies linked to him – Stellar Vera Development Ltd – returned N750m; another company – Damaris Mode Coolture Ltd – returned N550m, while the two firms later made an additional joint refund of N2,150,000,000.00.

He further added that, at a point, he brought several bank cheques for N10m in favour of the EFCC which he handed to its Economic Governance Section.

Otunla said his total refund to the Federation Account through the EFCC, was N6,392,000,000.00.

Meanwhile, Otunla is pleading with the court, in his filed suit against the EFCC, that it will keep to the promise given to him by now suspended EFCC Boss, Magu, that if he refunds the money he will be free from prosecution.

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