N4.7b Fraud: Fayose ushered into EFCC interrogation room, confronted with allegations of money laundering

*This is not fanfare but serious business – EFCC source

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, on Tuesday following his self surrender to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) hours after leaving office, has been received by the authorities of the Agency.

Seen wearing a black t-shirt, with the inscription: “EFCC, I’m Here”, the controversial former governor was accompanied by Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, and Mr. Mike Ozekhome, all lawyers.

Fayose, accompanied by supporters shouting anti-Buhari slogans with Wike, Fani-Kayode and Ozekhome agreeing in a press briefing that Nigeria for bringing the former Ekiti governor to justice over allegation of corruption that Nigeria is in tyranny, was however promptly ushered into the EFCC interrogation room in Idiagbon House, Wuse 2, where he faced a ‘Special Crack Team’ raised by the agency to grill him.

Vanguard reports that a competent EFCC source said Fayose was confronted, among others, with an allegation of how he purportedly collected cash from the Office of the National Security Adviser during the previous administration of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for undisclosed purposes and how he used it to acquire choice property in Abuja, Lagos and other cities.

The source said: “Fayose has a lot of issues to clear with us and we hope he can clear them on time. He is to write a voluntary statement on all that he knows about the N4.7 billion that he allegedly received from the former Minister of State for Defence

“Interrogators also confronted him on the choice property he allegedly used fronts to acquire in Lagos, Abuja and other places and the allegation that he collected kickbacks from some contractors.

“There are so many issues for which Fayose must provide answers to our interrogators. These things take time and he should know that it is beyond fanfare but being honest and providing answers to the issues.”

It was also learned that, in a bid to provide a watertight case against the former governor, a former Defence Minister, who reportedly ferried the huge cash to Ondo for Fayose, and now appears to have been given a soft-landing by the government, might be used as a prosecution witness against him.

EFCC is also said to have lined up several top bank officials, who handled many of Fayose’s accounts, which are subject of investigation and litigation. Some of the accounts, had been seized by the anti-graft agency but was forced to reopen them because of Fayose’s immunity as a governor.

Similarly, some of the property in Abuja and Lagos worth billions of Naira, had already been marked by the EFCC as being under investigation and the anti-graft agency wants to invoke the Assets Forfeiture clause to seize the properties in line with Sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004. EFCC listed some of the property acquired with illicit funds through Fayose’s fronts to include those on 32 Yedseram Street and 44 Osun River Crescent, Maitama, Abuja and those on Plot 100 Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island.

According to the EFCC source, the four duplexes are valued at $1.3m (N364m) each and were allegedly bought through a company, known as “JJ Technical.”

In preparation for Fayose’s trial, EFCC had in a 10-paragraph counter-affidavit deposed to by Tosin Owobo, accused Fayose of using the proceeds of crime to purchase the said property.

“Apart from fraudulently retaining the sum of N1, 219,490,000 being part of the N4.7 billion stolen from the treasury of the Federal Government through the Office of the National Security Adviser, the applicant (Fayose) has also received gratification in form of kickbacks from various contractors with the Ekiti State Government such as Samchese Nigeria Ltd, Tender Branch Concept Nig. Ltd, Hoff Concept Ltd and Calibre Consulting Ltd.

“The applicant (Fayose) received these kickbacks and gratification through Still Earth Ltd and Signachorr Nigeria Limited. In turn, the applicant (Fayose) instructed the Still Earth Ltd and Signachoor Nigeria Limited to use the funds to acquire properties for him.

“In complying with the applicant’s instruction, Still Earth Limited and Signachoor Nigeria Limited acquired properties on behalf of the applicant (Fayose) in the name of a company known as J.J Technical Services Limited belonging to the applicant (Fayose) and his wife (Feyisetan).

“That the applicant (Fayose) also used the name of one Mrs. Moji Ladeji (the applicant’s sister) to acquire a property situated at 44, Osun Crescent, Maitama Abuja, from the proceeds of the alleged offences of receiving gratification and kickbacks.”

Fayose caused a stir when he arrived the Wuse 2 Office of the EFCC on Formella Street.

Spotting a pair of Jeans trousers and a fez cap to match and clutching a black bag believed to contain some vital documents relating to his case, Fayose looked defiant and boisterous, smiling all through.

Accompanied by hordes of supporters, Fayose spoke poignantly, saying that he had kept his promise to report there on October 16 and that there was no need for the EFCC to block his street in Abuja.

The former governor said: “As I have promised, I have fulfilled my words that come 16th of October I will be at the EFCC office, my decision to come here is in line with my words.”

Incidentally, Fayose’s reporting at the EFCC office coincided with the inauguration of his successor, John Kayode Fayemi, who also handed over to the former in 2014. But Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Wike, who accompanied him to the EFCC, pleaded with the agency to treat his former colleague with dignity and decency, having voluntarily presented himself to the commission.

Wike said the former governor deserved to be praised for keeping his promise and not running away at the end of his tenure.

Away from Governor’s Wike’s thought of him instead of running away decided to voluntarily present himself, The DEFENDER in a recent report had it that Fayose had been placed under watch list long before the expiration of his tenure, making it difficult for him to escape from the eagle eyes of Nigerian authorities.

Although he was accompanied into the EFCC premises with his lawyer Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the man who only on Monday finished work as governor of Ekiti State was denied administrative bail as he needed to some questions bothering money laundering.

From the look of things, depending on how cooperative he is, the anti-corruption agency may have to obtain court injunction before expiration of 48 hours to enable him detain the former governor, who till his arrival at its office was still boasting he had no case to answer.

Some respondents have however expressed disappointment at the way supporters hailed Fayose, a man having weighty allegations of corruption hung against his neck, wondering how the outside world would described Nigeria with that attitude whereby people wore t-shirt with inscription “Fayose the conscience of Nigeria”.

One of them said, “What that attitude, where some Nigerian youths wear t-shirts with inscription proclaiming a man alleged to have stolen, either directly or by proxy, over N4 billion as the conscience of Nigeria, means is that outside world will look at the problem of Nigeria as shamelessness of the corrupt.  It is also good they are so exposing themselves because it will enable Nigeria get more support for President Muhammadu Buhari to face them.”