New revelation suggests that former President Goodluck Jonathan, spent a whooping N2.2 billion on prayers against Boko Haram.

The last administration was said to have spent the money on special prayers in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia to win the war against insurgency.

The N2.2 billion was disbursed through the Office of the former National Security Adviser, Retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki.

The disbursement took place after the submission of a proposal by a former Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Aminu Baba-Kusa.

In his statement of witness filed in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Baba-Kusa said the N2.2 billion was spent on prayers to hasten the defeat of Boko Haram.

The former NNPC Director revealed to EFCC that the contract proposal was verbal and the funds were released in two tranches of N1,450,000,000 and N750,000,000.

“I approached the former NSA and discussed Boko Haram problems and I suggested there is need for prayers and he considered and accepted in 2013 when he first came to office. I personally sponsored many people locally and some few to Saudi Arabia. Some monies were later paid into our companies, which we paid to some of the mallams.”

“I then arranged to recover my personal expense which I put into our own businesses. We have been spending a lot from our businesses and personal accounts. Money paid through UBA, First Bank and ECOBANK. For Acacia Holdings Limited(A/C 1017330319-UBA); ECOBANK(0122012650); and First Bank(Reliance Referral Hospitals Limited A/C 2022394057). The total amount is N2,200,000,000 from October 2014 to April 2015.”

“But I used some of the mallams to organise in Abuja, Zaria, Kano, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Kaduna and Saudi Arabia covering 2013 to 2015. I give them funds as required from time to time, ranging from N500,000 to N30million, depending on their needs, traveling, sadaqat and others for local expenses and travels to Saudi Arabia for Umrah and Hajj.”

“I reminded the NSA many times before payments were made. We grew up together with the former NSA with common friends in ABU. Most of the payments in cash were meant to give out cash to people that have been organising prayers. Some transfers to Acacia to other banks were for logistics and also to some mallams in cash.”

“The proposal made to the former NSA was not documented by him or myself. The verbal proposal to him was for prayers to overcome Boko Haram within the shortest possible time. The engagement for prayers by organising some people to be praying was not formally written down.”

“There was no amount of money agreed on. I said to him, I will start organising, which he agreed and said he will see what he would give at a later time. From my own resources before I started to ask for money from him”. Some of these funds came from disposal of some of my land in Abuja. One in Maitama, one in Gudu and one in Guzape. The Maitama was a little over N200million; Guzape (N80m), Gudu(N18m), he told the EFCC.”

Baba-Kusa also promised to refund the N2.2 billion by disposing of his assets and landed properties.

“I am making efforts to dispose of my properties in Abuja which would be over the total amount of N2.2billion. If the sales go through and the amount from the sales is made in full, I will make full payment.”