The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released the full detail of its fraud case against Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state. Details of the fraud case is contained in an affidavit filed by the anti-graft commission. It shows how N1.21 billion out of N2.26 billion paid to the account of Slyvan Mcnamara Limited, a company linked to the sons of the immediate past Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, by the Office of the National Security Adviser during the last administration, was traced to Fayose’s accounts with a new generation bank The affidavit, which detailed how the governor received kickbacks from Ekiti contractors, was filed in response to a suit instituted by the governor at a Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, seeking an order directing the EFCC to unblock his accounts with Zenith Bank.
The EFCC had frozen the governor’s account after it claimed the N1.21 billion was paid into the governor’s account for the prosecution of his election in 2014. An operative of the EFCC, Tosin Owobo, who deposed the written affidavit, told the court that Babajide, one of Obanikoro’s son was the principal signatory of Sylvan Mcnamara. He said on June 17, 2014, Mr. Oluseye, accompanied by Biodun Agbele, who he said was fronting for Mr. Fayose, arrived the Akure airport and took delivery of N724,500,000.00 from Obanikoro who was with his ADC, Lieutenant Colonel A.O Adewale.
The EFCC official also claimed that the next day, N494, 990,000.00 was delivered by Obanikoro in the same manner at the airport. He said in all, Obanikoro, conveyed N1, 219,490,000.00 through a chartered aircraft. According Owobo, after an employee of a new generation bank took delivery of the money from Obanikoro, on June 19, 2014, Biodun Agbele, whom he claimed was a front for Mr. Fayose, was instructed by the governor to deposit N219million in cash to De-privateer Limited’s account. He said there was a balance of N89, 454,765.00 in the account before it was frozen. Owobo revealed that during interrogation, Messrs. Oluseye and Akande made confessional statements about how the transactions were done. The EFCC also told the court that apart from the money he allegedly received from Obanikoro, the Ekiti state governor was in the habit of collecting gratification and kickback from state contractors. The respondent explained that Fayose received the kickback through Still Earth Ltd and Signachorr Nigeria Ltd and in turn instructed the companies to acquire properties for him. Contrary to the claim by Fayose that the EFCC arbitrarily blocked his account without a valid court order, Owobo told the court that the commission got an interim order from Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos to
“prevent further dissipation of proceed of crimes”.
Having obtained an interim order from a court of law, Mr. Owobi therefore argued that Mr. Fayose could not use the court as a shield against criminal investigation. He further argued that while the governor’s immunity against civil and criminal proceeding, the proceeds of an economic and financial crimes allegedly committed by him do not enjoy such privilege.
The EFCC had frozen the governor’s account after it claimed the N1.21 billion was paid into the governor’s account for the prosecution of his election in 2014. An operative of the EFCC, Tosin Owobo, who deposed the written affidavit, told the court that Babajide, one of Obanikoro’s son was the principal signatory of Sylvan Mcnamara. He said on June 17, 2014, Mr. Oluseye, accompanied by Biodun Agbele, who he said was fronting for Mr. Fayose, arrived the Akure airport and took delivery of N724,500,000.00 from Obanikoro who was with his ADC, Lieutenant Colonel A.O Adewale.
The EFCC official also claimed that the next day, N494, 990,000.00 was delivered by Obanikoro in the same manner at the airport. He said in all, Obanikoro, conveyed N1, 219,490,000.00 through a chartered aircraft. According Owobo, after an employee of a new generation bank took delivery of the money from Obanikoro, on June 19, 2014, Biodun Agbele, whom he claimed was a front for Mr. Fayose, was instructed by the governor to deposit N219million in cash to De-privateer Limited’s account. He said there was a balance of N89, 454,765.00 in the account before it was frozen. Owobo revealed that during interrogation, Messrs. Oluseye and Akande made confessional statements about how the transactions were done. The EFCC also told the court that apart from the money he allegedly received from Obanikoro, the Ekiti state governor was in the habit of collecting gratification and kickback from state contractors. The respondent explained that Fayose received the kickback through Still Earth Ltd and Signachorr Nigeria Ltd and in turn instructed the companies to acquire properties for him. Contrary to the claim by Fayose that the EFCC arbitrarily blocked his account without a valid court order, Owobo told the court that the commission got an interim order from Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos to
“prevent further dissipation of proceed of crimes”.
Having obtained an interim order from a court of law, Mr. Owobi therefore argued that Mr. Fayose could not use the court as a shield against criminal investigation. He further argued that while the governor’s immunity against civil and criminal proceeding, the proceeds of an economic and financial crimes allegedly committed by him do not enjoy such privilege.
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