How captured whatsapp conversation exposed Femi Fani-Kayode/Fayose’s Lere Olayinka’s plot to link Amaechi to $50m Ikoyi Money

*Amaechi wants N1.8b from Fani-Kayode, Fayose’s aide

*Asked, Lere Olayinka failed to deny whatsapp plot

“Now that Rotimi Amaechi has sued those accusing him of owning the house and the recovered 43 million dollars, I plead with all those who have evidence against him to move swiftly to help the defendants in the matter. It is funny how they have all the evidence but refused to use such evidence to make money through Whistleblowing.”

The DEFENDER was forwarded a whatsapp message by a Lagos-based film producer, Mr. Bolaji Bello, Tuesday morning to be investigated with a view to determining whether it was true or not.  The message has a captured whatsapp conversation between a former Minister of Aviation and Director of Information of Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2015 general elections, Pastor Femi Fani-Kayode and Special Adviser on New Media to the Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, Mr. Lere Olayinka.  The conversation gave detailed picture of how the trending social media post linking the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Honourable Rotimi Amaechi, was plotted by the Fayose’s aide and the former minister, Fani-Kayode.

This online newspaper, mindful of its name and commitment to defending the truth and national integrity, swung into action immediately trying to be sure that the whatsapp conversation allegedly captured of Olayinka and Fani-Kayode was not just one of the trending fallacies on the social media.

At about 1.15pm Tuesday, we visited Lere Olayinka’s Facebook wall where he was just posting his usual, titled, “#Another Poser for EFCC on the CASH recovered from Osborne, Ikoyi, Lagos apartment” and lampooned the EFCC saying, “What EFCC told Nigerians initially was that $38m, £27,000 and N23m was recovered from the Osborne, Ikoyi flat. The moment NIA claimed the money, the EFCC upgraded the figure to $43m.  The story has now changed from $38m, £27,000 and N23m cash recovered to $38m, £27,000 and N23m.  So where did $5m surface from?  Was there an attempt to reloot the loot?  Could the balance of $5m have surfaced if NIA had not claimed the money?” He posted trying to justify his reason to lampoon the uncovering of the huge loot that many have condemned through the traditional and social media as part of the evils of the PDP government of recent past.”

Then watching closely he was discovered on his own timeline to have been confronted by a social media user to either provide deny or confirm the whatsapp conversation he had with Femi Fani-Kayode in which they both plotted what has been considered as defamation of character linking Amaechi with the discovered $50 million Ikoyi money.  Rather than deny or confirm, Lere Olayinka hauled insult on the enquirer, asking her to use her brain if she has one.

The enquirer confronting Lere Olayinka said: “We are in possession of information about your alleged whatsapp plot of propaganda with Femi Fani-Kayode to nail the Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi, mischievously tagging him with the Ikoyi discovered money. Could you please state clearly why you needed to go to the extent of damaging somebody’s hard earned image just because you want to achieve a political goal. NOW, what we want you to do for us is: 1. The Ikoyi money you have tagged on Amaechi, what is your evidence? 2. And if you don’t have evidence, what gives you the confidence, as a spokesman of a governor of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you can go public denigrating and damaging people, and doing that along with your governor, his cohorts like Governor Wike of Rivers and Femi Fani-Kayode, another man that has been so benefitted by the entity that Nigeria is, what gives you the confidence that you have the freedom of speech to so defame people like you have done?

“AGAIN, could you tell us why we should not hold the Whatsapp plot now trending on the social media against you as truly having taken place between you and Femi Fani-Kayode. We are aware that you are currently online and will therefore like to have your response immediate. If we don’t have your response, it will mean confirmation of some of our causes of worry,” the enquirer concluded.

Not too much later, the Ekiti State Governor Fayose’s aide, Lere Olayinka, replied and simply hauled the insult: “Use your brain if you have any.”  That came from spokesman of a sitting governor of a constitution-based Nigeria.

In the whatsapp message, conversation between Lere Olayinka and Femi Fani-Kayode was captured as follows:

“Femi Fani-Kayode: Yes! Nigerians will believe all. This one is accepted in clear hook and sinker.

“Lere Olayinka: Amaechi is trending on twitter.

“Femi Fani-Kayode: It has to trend more he sold us to the Hausa/Fulani.

“Lere Olayinka: Hissssssssh.  Egbon, Amaechi shattered all my plans.

“Femi Fani-Kayode: Farabele! We shall nail him.

“Lere Olayinka: My Boss your man the one and only Oshokomole is even angry with that ogogoro Jonathan for allowing this small Amaechi truncate his administration.  Let’s meet on Sunday at our usual place.

“Femi Fani-Kayode: I will call you by Dawn.

“Lere Olayinka: Egbon please sustain the anti Amaechi twits.  Amaechi is on the defensive now but Nigerians are already calling for his head.

“Femi Fani-Kayode: He is in ewedu soupxxx

“Lere Olayinka: The next money EFCC will discover, We will nail it on Fayemi our former Governor.  I’ll be back Sir.  Let me go to twitter, facebook etc and sustain the anti Amaechi propaganda we started.”

By the insulting response by Lere Olayinka, who did not deny the whatsapp between him and Fani-Kayode plotting the Rotimi Amaechi link with the Ikoyi loot, The DEFENDER can comfortably confirm that, the whatsapp discussion exposing how they plotted the social media blackmails linking the Minister of Transportation to it actually took place between them.

Of note, however, is the comment to Lere Olayinka by another Facebook activist, Kaycee Chijioke Kaycee, who said, “Now that Rotimi Amaechi has sued those accusing him of owning the house and the recovered 43 million dollars, I plead with all those who have evidence against him to move swiftly to help the defendants in the matter. It is funny how they have all the evidence but refused to use such evidence to make money through Whistleblowing.”

Amaechi threatens to sue Femi Fani-Kayode, Lere Olayinka, others

In the meantime, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has threatened to sue the former Aviation Minister, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode and media aide to Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, Lere Olayinka over their comments linking him to the seized N15 billion in Ikoyi.

Amaechi also demanded a public apology from Fani-Kayode and Olayinka or payment of the sum of N1.25bn and N750m respectively.

In a letter by his lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Amaechi claimed that comments made by the two men on their Twitter handles defamed him.

Meanwhile, Fani-Kayode has said that he is not losing any sleep over the matter, adding that his lawyers will respond accordingly.

The former minister in a terse statement by his Special Advisor on media, Jude Ndukwe, noted that: “We have been inundated with calls concerning about a threat by Rotimi Amaechi to sue Chief Fani-Kayode for defamation over the 43 million USD issue. We are not losing any sleep over this matter. We have not received any court processes or letters from Amaechi but when we do so our lawyers will respond vigorously and appropriately. Thank you”

The $43.5m, £27, 800, and N23 million recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from an apartment located at Flat 7B, No 13 Osborne Road, Ikoyi Lagos have been a subject of controversy with recent reports linking the funds to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

The former Rivers State governor quoted Fani-Kayode and Olayinka as saying that “Amaechi bought two of the flats (7A and 7B). He then gave 7A to Mo Abdul, the TV presenter, who is suspected to be his girlfriend. But the flat where the money was found belong (sic) to Rotimi Amaechi. This is believed to be cash kept for 2019 elections. Let’s see how the cover-up game goes.”