Some properties said to belong to Governor Ayodele Fayose of
Ekiti State have been seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The
properties located in the highbrow areas of Lagos and Abuja were seized as part
of investigations into the N1.219bn the governor allegedly received from the
Office of the National Security Adviser when Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) held
sway, through a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, as
well as some kickbacks he (Fayose) allegedly received from the Ekiti State
Government contractors.
Investigators told The Punch that the seized houses
belonging to Fayose were allegedly purchased with stolen funds and the EFCC
invoked 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 seizure came less than a month after the governor’s
three Zenith Bank accounts were frozen by the anti-graft agency. Fayose’s properties
on 32 Yedseram Street and 44 Osun River Crescent, Maitama, Abuja, has the
inscriptions ‘EFCC, Keep Off’ on the fences.
According to court documents filed by the EFCC, the property
on Osun River Crescent was bought by Fayose in the name of his London-based
sister, Mrs. Moji Ladeji. The governor reportedly pulled down the structure of
one of the Abuja properties and started building a new one. The two properties,
which are uncompleted buildings, were said to be worth over N470m.
The properties
in Lagos were said to be four duplexes located at Plot 100 Tiamiyu Savage
Street, Victoria Island. The four duplexes cost $1.3m (N364m) each. They were
allegedly bought through a company, JJ Technical.
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 read 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 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."
In his reaction, however, Fayose said all properties linked
to him were not bought with stolen funds.
In a statement by his Special Assistant 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 was spent remained his
own business and not that of anyone."
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