I Got N150,000 To Install Radio Biafra Tansmitter – Suspect
According to
Punch, a telecommunication maintenance engineer, David Nwawuisi, has revealed that
he got an initial payment of N150,000 to install a Radio Biafra transmitter on
an MTN mast in Ngwo, Enugu State.
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The 29-year-old, who was on the payroll of Ericsson, the firm managing mast
sites for MTN, revealed this in a statement which he made to the Department of
State Services on July 27, 2015.
Nwawuisi, who disclosed that he was managing 45 MTN sites for Ericsson, said
the Radio Biafra transmitter had operated for three months on MTN mast before
it was discovered and his subsequent arrest by the DSS on July 15, 2015.
Nwawuisi, who obtained a B.Sc degree in Biochemistry from the Enugu State
University of Science and Technology in 2010, said he was being paid N73,000
plus per month by Ericsson.
He stated that it was the same amount he was being paid as a trainee when he
joined the company as a trainee in 2014.
He narrated how he was contacted by one Chidiebere Onwudiwe, whom the Federal
Government said was at large, and one Obioma, to seal the deal for the
installation of the transmitter at the mast site.
Nwawuisi stated, “I came to know about Chidiebere and Obioma one day the
security woman called me to tell me that that they will like to install a
radio ( transmitter) on one of my sites at Ngwo in Enugu State and I told them
that I don’t know who they are that if they can make out time so that we can
see face to face because I don’t know them and that was in May.
“So the next day, they called me. I was working in one of my sites at St.
Michael Catholic Church Asata in Enugu State. I asked them to come down to
that site and that was the place I saw them for the first time and they
introduced themselves as Chidiebere and Obioma. They also asked for my name
and I said David. They also asked for my native name and I said Chukwugozie
and from there Chidiebere started saying that the radio (transmitter) they are
asking for my permission to install in my site is to help them educate our
people (Igbo) and let them know their brothers and where they come from….
“They called me again to remind me of that and that was when I told them ok
and we agreed that they are going to be paying N25,000 only per month which
they paid six months upfront. N75,000 cash was given to me that day they came
for the installation and out of that I gave N5,000 to the security woman. The
balance was paid into my account at Ecobank after the First Bank (account) I
gave to Obioma failed to accept the payment.
“The payment of the balance was done two weeks after the installation of the
radio (transmitter). On three different occasions, Chidiebere and Obioma
called me to do some maintenance on the radio (transmitter). I gave them
access into the site and left and when they finished, the security woman
informed me that they are through and I came and locked the site.
“The items Chidiebere came (with) were an electronic that looks like a decoder
and a DSTV dish which was installed on the fence. The other items were
installed inside the MTN site shelter. The equipment has been there for three
months and on July 15 the MTN staff went to the site and called me from the
site and asked me what the equipment is. The name of the MTN staff is Mr. John
Ibekwe. When he was calling, I couldn’t get what he was asking due to the
environment because I was driving and when I parked, I called the security
woman to ask her and she told me that is the equipment that Chidiebere and
Obioma installed that his asking of.
“I called back the MTN man to tell him what the equipment is for, that is a
Radio Biafra (transmitter) that was installed by Chidiebere and Obioma. I told
him that I will like to see him which he asked be to come to Shoprite and I
came and after I was taken to the MTN office by the MTN security patrol team.
From the office, after telling them how the equipment came about and how I got
to know about Chidiebere, I was taken to Enugu DSS office.” (sic)
He stated that the MTN thereafter uninstalled the Radio Biafra transmitter.
He added that the last time he spoke with Chidiebere on the telephone was when
he was at the DSS office in Enugu.
The Federal Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Mohammed Diri, who signed the
fresh charges, the case summary and other processes accompanying them on
behalf of the government, alleged that Nwawuisi agreed to install the
transmitters “and did install IPOB radio transmitters on MTN masts for a
consideration.”
The prosecution alleged that the transmitters were smuggled into Nigeria by
the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, and were
discovered during a search in Madubugwu’s residence.
The Federal Government had charged Nwawuisi and Benjamin Madubugwu along with
the founder of Radio Biafra and Kanu, with treason and other related offences
including management and assisting in the management of an unlawful society
(IPOB).
The accused persons were charged with six counts before the Federal High Court
in Abuja but have yet to be arraigned.
Source: Punch
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