The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission has commenced moves to seize some properties linked to
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, The PUNCH has learnt.
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 told our correspondent
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.”
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