Africa-Press – Nigeria. The presidency on Thursday described as fake news reports that former Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, paid N12.5 million into the personal account of President Muhammadu Buhari while in office.
Reports had claimed that Amosun, who ruled Ogun State from 2011 to 2019, fraudulently paid the funds into President Buhari’s personal account shortly before he left office.
However, in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the president, Garba Shehu, the presidency said the money in question was paid into the account of the estate which is owned by the Ogun State government and not to Buhari as alleged in the report.
The statement read:
”Fake news industry at work. A certain document showing the transfer of N12,500,000 from the coffers of the Ogun State to a PMB Estate is being circulated to tarnish the image of President Muhammadu Buhari.
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“The President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) Estate is a large housing scheme in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. It was commissioned by President Buhari in the course of a state visit.
“PMB Estate is owned by the Ogun State government, which honoured the president by naming it after him. This does not confer the ownership of the Estate to President Buhari.
“The gossipy online newspaper, peddling the falsehood that President Muhammadu Buhari, the tried and tested anti-corruption fighter is the beneficiary of this cash transfer should be ignored.
“Before his election as civilian president, Muhammadu Buhari was a military pensioner and had never registered a company in his name or that of a proxy.”
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