Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti State, is being questioned at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s zonal command office in Ilorin, Kwara State, regarding an alleged N4 billion money laundering scheme.
Reliable sources with knowledge of the issue told our correspondent that on Thursday, around 9:40 am, Fayemi arrived to the EFCC premises.
Fayemi, through his attorney Adeola Omotunde, SAN, begged the EFCC to let him give a book in honor of the late President Muhammadu Buhari on May 19 rather than honor the agency’s request for questioning regarding charges of money laundering.
Confirming the development on Thursday (June 1, 2023), a source said, “Fayemi arrived at our Kwara command office at about 9:40 am today. Our operatives are currently grilling him over alleged misappropriation of N4bn.”
“I’m not sure whether he’d be released today or detained. However, he’s not the only former governor that’s currently being probed by the commission,” another source noted.
Wilson Uwujaren, the anti-graft agency’s spokesperson, declined to comment on the development when our correspondent phoned him.
“I can’t speak concerning that, please,” Uwujaren said.
EFCC requested that the former governor of Ekiti appear before the head of its zonal command office in Kwara, Nigeria’s North-Central, to answer questions on money laundering activities in a letter dated May 12 that was received by our correspondent.
The EFCC demanded that Mr. Fayemi appear before it on May 18 in a letter sent by its zone commander, Micheal Nzekwe.
The letter states, “The commission is investigating a case of money laundering and it is urgent that you provide certain clarifications.”
“In view of this, you’re kindly requested to come for an interview with the undersigned through the Head, Economic Governance section. Thursday, May 18, 2023. No. 10 Oko close, off station road, GRA, Ilorin, Kwara State. Time: 10: 00 hours.”
However, in a follow-up letter dated May 15 and obtained by our correspondent through Fayemi’s legal counsel, Adeola Omotunde, SAN, Fayemi claimed to be a co-organizer and reviewer of one of the books released in Buhari’s honor.
“Our client is in receipt of your letter of invitation dated 12th May 2023 for an appointment on Thursday, 18th of May, 2023,” Mr Fayemi’s lawyer noted.
The letter reads, “Our client is engaged on the 18th day of May 2023 as he is preparing for a public presentation and launching of two new books in honour of President Muhammadu Buhari, titled: ‘State of Repair: How President Muhammad Buhari Tried to Change Nigeria For Good’ by Anthony Goldman and ‘The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari’ by Abu Ibrahim slated for 19th May 2023 at the Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja by 10:00 a.m.
“Our client is one of the organisers of the programme and will review one of the books. Our client has also committed himself to other programs between May 19, 2023, and May 24, 2023, before he received your invitation. We regret to inform you that our client will not be able to honour your invitation on the 18th May 2023 against the backdrop of the foregoing information.”
Our correspondent was unable to contact ayemi’s attorney on Thursday because the phone number we received from his letter was inactive.
In addition to Fáym, the EFCC has stated that it is also looking into Bello Matawalle, the former governor of Zamfara State, on charges of corruption, awarding fictitious contracts, and diverting more than N70 billion.
Following the recent attempt by the departing governor to throw doubt on the integrity of the agency’s fight against corruption, the EFCC claimed it was forced to make the development public.
Speaking on behalf of the agency’s Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, the EFCC’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Osita Nwajah, made this announcement in May to journalists at the commission’s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
Nwajah said, “It is intriguing that Matawalle would want to take on the role of a supervisor, who tells the EFCC whom to investigate. Is this a case of a ‘thief’ saying he must not be touched until other ‘thieves’ are caught?
“The real issue with Matawalle is that he is being investigated by the EFCC, over allegations of monumental corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70bn.
“The money, which was sourced as a loan from an old generation bank purportedly for the execution of projects across the local government areas of the state, was allegedly diverted by the governor through proxies and contractors who received payment for contracts that were not executed.
“The commission’s investigations so far revealed that more than 100 companies had received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the state. Some of the contractors who have been invited and quizzed by the commission made startling revelations on how they were allegedly compelled by the governor to return the funds received from the state coffers back to him through his aides after converting the same to United States dollars.
“They confirmed that they did not render any service to Zamafara State but were allegedly directed to convert the money paid to them into United States dollars and return to the state governor through some of his commissioners, notably the commissioners in charge of Finance and Local Government Affairs.”
Nwajah claims that one of the contractors, a well-known Abuja real estate developer, took N6 billion on a N10 billion contract without providing any service to Zamfara State.
He pointed out that although another contractor had received almost N3 billion for a contract to supply medical equipment, the commission had tracked N400 million from his account to a Bureau de Change operator. The contractor acknowledged that the money was paid to buy the equivalent in dollars for the state governor.
