Noose appears to be tightening around the embattled Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, as one of his closest allies, Abiodun Agbele is said to be squealing before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over his involvement in the N2.1 billion election scam.
Agbele, who is said to have played key role in the alleged disbursement of N1.2 billion from former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, according to sources within the anti-graft agency, has told it all in his statements, alleging that contractors are being coerced by Fayose to fabricate lies for him.
Besides, one of the owners of the houses traced to Fayose has vowed to cooperate with the Anti-Graft Agency as it forges ahead to probe sources of funding of his 2014 governorship election.
It was gathered that no fewer than seven houses have allegedly been traced to the Governor by the EFCC and all are said to have been purchased since he returned to Ekiti Government House in 2014.
A top official of Still Earth Ltd and Signachorr Nigeria Ltd, that sold one of the properties to Fayose, said contrary to alarm being raised, the Governor actually bought a property in Lagos at the cost of N550 million.
According to the source, Fayose paid a deposit of N400 million for the said property through his close ally, Agbele, popularly known as Abbey, promising to pay the balance.
However, rather than paying the balance of N150 million through the same person that made the deposit or by himself, it was paid through a company, Samchese Nigeria Limited.
Unfortunately for Fayose, the EFCC has now discovered that the said Samchese Nigeria Limited is a contractor to Ekiti state Government, fuelling speculation that it was a kick-back due to the Governor.
Realising that all the deals may have been blown open by Agbele, Fayose has resorted to fight dirty, allegedly dragging almost everyone that has had dealings with him into the mud.
Like he did with Zenith Bank, the embattled governor has turned the heat on Still Earth Ltd and Signachorr Nigeria Ltd,, accusing the owners of colluding with the EFCC to make a case against him.
Still Earth and Signachorr however argue that they are reputable companies and are prepared to co-operate with the law enforcement agencies since they have done nothing wrong.
A top elder statesman said recently in a statement that “Fayose is the tragedy that happens when Ekiti people chose ‘rice’ and ‘a bastard’ over an educational colossus like fayemi. What a disaster”
“I heartily sympathize with the people of Ekiti for having a miscreant
like Fayose governing the state of many intellects. It is really sad.
“When I stumbled on Fayose’s newspaper advert about Buhari, I couldn’t help but cry for the people of Ekiti for having him as their leader.”
The statement claimed that most of the company /names mentioned are business owners who have worked tirelessly to build a brand for themselves which should not be tarnished overnight by a failing /failed institution/entity.
The EFCC had released more details on how funds from the Office of the former National Security Adviser, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, were spent by Fayose through Obanikoro.
The anti-graft agency in an affidavit filed at a Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State in response to a suit Fayose filed over the freezing of his accounts, revealed how N1.21 billion out of N2.26 billion paid to the account of Slyvan Mcnamara Limited, a company linked to the sons of Obanikoro, was disbursed by Fayose.
It also gave details of the kickbacks received from Ekiti State contractors by Fayose.
According to an operative of the EFCC who authored the affidavit, Tosin Owobo, Obanikoro conveyed the money himself to Fayose via Akure in Ondo State.
“Prior to Obanikoro’s arrival in Akure, Alade Oluseye, a staff of Zenith Bank, had informed his colleague, Lawrence Akande, that the money was being brought through the Akure Airport for lodgement and since the volume of the cash was huge, he would be needing a bullion van to convey the money,” he said.
“On June 17, 2014, Oluseye, accompanied by Biodun Agbele, who was fronting for 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 next day, N494, 990,000.00 was delivered by Obanikoro in the same manner at the airport. In all, Obanikoro conveyed N1, 219,490,000.00 through a chartered aircraft belonging to GYRO AIR Limited with registration number: HS125-800 5N-BMT.
“After Oluseye took delivery of the money from Obanikoro, on June 19, 2014, Agbele was instructed by the governor to deposit N219 million in cash to De-privateer Limited’s Zenith Bank account number: 1013835889.
“On the same day the said Biodun Agbele made another cash deposit in the sum of N300 million being part of the proceeds of crimes to the said De- privateer Ltd’s with the 2nd Respondent.
“On the 23rd June, 2014 the sum of N200,000,000.00 (Two Hundred Million Naira) being part of these proceeds of crime, was also deposited to the said De-Privateer Ltd’s account domiciled with the Respondent by Biodun Agbele whilst acting in concert with the Applicant.
“On the 26th day of June,2014 the said Biodun Agbele on the instruction of Applicant further dissipated the proceeds of crime by depositing the sum of N137,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Thirty Seven Million Naira) to account No. 1003126654 domiciled with the 2nd Respondent in the name of the Applicant.
“On the 22nd and 27th day of August, 2014 Biodun Agbele also deposited the sum of N50, 000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) and N118, 760,000.00 (One Hundred and Eighteen Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira) respectively to the said account which sum formed part of the proceeds of crime.
“In further dissipating the proceeds of crime deposited and retained in the account referred to in paragraphs (d) and (g) above, the sum of N300,000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira) was put in a fixed deposit account No. 9013074033 in the name of the Applicant on the 7th day of April,2015.
“On June 17, 2014, Agbele deposited N100 million to the account of Spotless Investment Limited, owned by Fayose, with Zenith Bank (number: 1010170969). On June 23, 2014, he also deposited N49 million to the account of Spotless Investment.”
Owobo also revealed that contrary to the claim by Fayose that the EFCC arbitrarily blocked his account without a valid court order, the agency got an interim order from Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos to “prevent further dissipation of proceed of crimes.
Owobo said having obtained an interim order from a court of law, Fayose can no longer use the court as a shield against criminal investigation, adding that while the governor has immunity against civil and criminal proceeding, the proceeds of economic and financial crimes allegedly committed by him do not enjoy such privilege.
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