A massive crowd of protesters on Thursday shut down business and commercial activities in Ekiti state to seek the resignation of the embattled Governor, Ayodele Fayose.
The protesters, comprising of the youth, various women groups, civil society organisations, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), market women, artisans and the organised Labour, carried placards with various inscriptions like “Fayose must Go, Fayose must return Ekiti money, We support EFCC Probe,” and Ekiti needs a decent Governor among others.
The protesters, according to UpShot Reports, assembled at the Fajuyi Park area, near the Governor’s office and moved in a procession round the major streets of Ado Ekiti, the state Capital for about two hours.
At, the popular ijigbo junction, they held a rally there and were addressed by many activities that reiterated support for the anti-corruption drive of the President Mohammadu Buhari administration, even as they demand the immediate resignation of the governor.
While supporting the efforts of the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission, EFCC to probe Fayose, one of the speakers at the rally Omotunde Fajuyi, who is also a leader of the All Progressives Congress said the embattled Governor must forfeit the ONSA funds in his already frozen Zenith Bank Account to the State Government.
Meanwhile, detectives have uncovered how Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose bought N1.35 billion properties within six months in office. The five properties include four duplexes in Lagos and one in Abuja.
EFCC has summoned three more people for quizzing on Friday in respect of the ongoing investigation of the governor.
One of those invited, Oyin Daramola, of Still Earth Limited, who is an estate agent, is said to have told the EFCC team that she did a legitimate business.
She said she had never been fraudulent in all her business transactions.
Besides, Daramola, two others are to present evidence of their business fidelity.
Ahead of the Friday session, the anti-graft agency has relocated Fayose’s associate, Abiodun Agbele, from Lagos to Abuja.
The governor who was inaugurated on October 16, 2014, acquired the properties in Lagos and Abuja in April 2015.
The four duplexes, which were bought at $1.3m each, are located on Tiamiyu Savage Street on Victoria Island in Lagos.
Each of the mansions is a four-bedroom duplex.
According to EFCC’s findings, while chalets 3 and 4 were purchased through Siqnathor, chalets 6 and 9 were owned by Noga Hotel.
The fifth duplex was bought from the Skye Bank Plc at N200 million.
Although the transactions were handled by Still Earth belonging to Oyin Daramola, the governor has refused to pay estate agency fees up till the time of filing this report.
Instead, he offered to pay fees through the award of contracts to the estate agent in Ekiti State to defray the commission on the five properties.
Agbele allegedly brokered the deals.
Another source, who was privy to the preliminary investigation, said: “They approached Oyin Daramola through Abiodun Agbele whom she knew in Ibadan.
“Upon seeing Agbele who came to seek assistance to buy the four duplexes in Lagos, it was obvious he was looking so poor and could not afford the huge cost.
“ Agbele then said his friend, who wanted the duplexes, will call her. It was then Fayose later called Oyin Daramola. We have the call logs and the transcript of the conversation or negotiation already.
“Investigation confirmed that Fayose did not pay the agency fees but only offered to give contracts to Still Earth belonging to Daramola in Ekiti State to pay the required fees.
“Unknowingly, he wanted to award the contracts for kick-back to feather his nest.”
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