The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has commenced moves to
seize some properties linked to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State,
According to the EFCC, houses to be seized
are four duplexes on Victoria Island in Lagos State and one located at
44 Osun Crescent, Maitama, Abuja.
A reliable source said on Thursday that the houses were allegedly purchased with
illegitimate funds, stating that the EFCC could 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.
The EFCC is currently investigating
Fayose for allegedly receiving N1.219bn from the Office of the National
Security Adviser through a former Minister of State for Defence,
Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, who is currently in school in the United
States of America.
After freezing Fayose’s Zenith Bank accounts,
the anti-graft agency alleged that it had uncovered details of how the
governor had been receiving kickbacks from state contractors.
The
source added, “Investigations showed that the properties were bought
with bribes from Ekiti State contractors. Some of the properties were
not bought in Fayose’s name but through proxies. So, we will seize all
the properties by God’s grace.”
The EFCC had, in a 10-paragraph
counter-affidavit deposed to by Tosin Owobo, accused Fayose of using the
proceeds of crime to purchase properties.
The affidavit reads in
part, “Apart from fraudulently retaining the sum of N1,219,490,000
being part of the N4,745,000,000 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 Limited, Tender Branch Concept Nig. Limited, Hoff
Concept Limited and Calibre Consulting Limited.
“The applicant
(Fayose) received these kickbacks and gratification through Still Earth
Limited and Signachorr Nigeria Limited. In turn the applicant (Fayose)
instructed the Still Earth Limited 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.”
In his reaction, however, Fayose said all the properties linked to him were not bought with stolen funds.
In
a statement by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Public
Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor said any
property that might be linked to him or his company was “bought
legitimately and his properties were duly declared in his assets
declaration form and sources of such funds were not illicit.”
He
said since the money he got for his election was from legitimate sources
and not from the ONSA, “how the money is spent remains his own business
and not that of anyone.”
The PUNCH