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TINUBU’S TOP SECURITY AIDES IMPLICATED IN $1.5M BRIBERY SCANDAL TO GRANT NNPC BOSS OJULARI ACCESS TO PRESIDENT
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), Adegboyega Fasasi, and Chief Personal Security Officer, Usman Shugaba, have been implicated in a $1.5 million bribery scandal.
Sources told SaharaReporters that the duo allegedly facilitated access for the embattled Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to meet with the President at the Presidential Villa (Aso Rock Villa), Abuja, after he reportedly paid them off.
SaharaReporters gathered that Tinubu met with Ojulari at 11 a.m. on June 10.
The NNPC boss, Ojulari, is currently under investigation for alleged money laundering involving the transfer of millions of dollars to the account of AA&R Investment Group.
The company is owned by Abdullahi Bashir-Haske, son-in-law of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, President Tinubu’s main rival in the 2023 general elections.
Atiku remains a key figure in the coalition of opposition leaders seeking to unseat Tinubu and dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027, using the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“The President was angry after security reports linked Ojulari to questionable financial transactions with a company owned by Atiku Abubakar’s son-in-law, Bashir-Haske. Remember the story SaharaReporters published about a luxury retreat by members of the NNPC board and top management in Kigali, Rwanda, not long ago, the same Abdullahi Bashir-Haske coordinated it,” one of the sources said.
“The President accused Ojulari of using NNPC funds to support his political opponents indirectly.”
In July, Bashir-Haske was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged money laundering.
According to sources, during interrogation, he revealed to the EFCC that the embattled NNPC boss had a physical discussion with the President through his personal security officers following the alleged $1.5 million bribe.
SaharaReporters learnt that after the EFCC queried him over funds paid into his account by the NNPC, he was asked to explain whether the money was linked to the ADC or any other political party. It was during this interrogation that he revealed $1.5 million had been given to Fasasi.
“There is a corruption allegation involving $1.5 million bribe against the CSO to the President, Lukman Adegboyega Fasasi, and Chief Principal Security Officer to the President, CP Usman Musa Shugaba,” a source familiar with the EFCC investigation told SaharaReporters.
“The pair collected $1.5 million from a close associate of the embattled NNPC CEO, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, to facilitate a meeting with the President.
“This revelation came after the EFCC arrested this close associate of the NNPC CEO, known as Bashir-Haske. During interrogation, Haske made different confessional statements about his involvement with some politically exposed individuals who are from opposition parties, as well as a cash of $1.5 million he gave security heads in the Presidential Villa to ensure Ojulari was given access to see Mr President.
“Fasasi even went ahead to issue a Presidential Villa access tag to Bashir-Haske, which granted him unrestricted access to Aso Rock. While being interrogated, he confessed that Fasasi also promised to help him (Bashir-Haske) talk to the EFCC chairman to make his case with the commission go away, but failed as he had no connection with the agency. He’s still in detention as we speak.
“Before Bashir-Haske was arrested, he was initially invited, so he knew there was a case against him and sought to make it go away.
“But the EFCC Chairman had already reported the matter to Mr President and requested approval for those involved to be released for questioning because they belong to different security agencies and work directly under the president.”
Another source in the Presidential Villa added, “Similar things happened in December 2024; Fasasi and other security officials in the villa collected $500,000 from a well-known Niger Delta militant to help facilitate a contract job.
“Fasasi has abused his office several times, collecting bribes to grant politicians and others access, defrauding and tarnishing the image of Mr President, as well as being a threat to the safety of Mr President. According to him, no one can remove him as CSO to Mr President, as he has the backing of the top brass of the government.
Fasasi was once removed as CSO to Mr President for unprofessional conduct but was later reinstated. He and Shugaba have abused their powers and engaged in various unprofessional conduct.”
Fasasi’s Past Controversies
SaharaReporters on October 20 reported that the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), also known as the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Ajayi, had removed Fasasi from his position as the CSO to Tinubu.
Fasasi was replaced by Rasheed Atanda Lawal, a deputy director of the SSS, who was enrolled in a fellowship course at the National Institute for Security Studies.
However, on October 29, 2024, SaharaReporters reported that Fasasi had refused to leave the Presidential Villa despite being redeployed by the DSS Director General.
SaharaReporters gathered that Fasasi had the backing of some state governors and other influential people to remain in the Villa, having allegedly received monies from them to ensure regular access to Tinubu.
Some other officials in the Villa, however, accused the CSO of a pattern of receiving bribes to screen those who could see Tinubu and those who would not.
“There is a lot of pressure from governors and influential people from whom he has collected money to keep him, saying that he has to be there. We can confirm from Villa that the CSO refused to leave,” one of the sources told SaharaReporters in October 2024.
“He’s accused of shaking down people to visit Tinubu. The logic of those supporting his stay is weird. They claim that if he leaves, they will have to bribe the new person afresh to have access to Tinubu,” the source further revealed.
“Some powerful people are backing Fasasi and are negotiating to let him leave in December,” another source corroborated.
