EFCC sets up special Fayose division to handle his case when his immunity expires on October 15

ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials have set up a special team to interrogate Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State when his term of office expires next week and his immunity lapses.

On October 15, Governor Fayose will hand over the reins of office governor-elect Kayode Fayemi and will lose his immunity at exactly 11.59pm on the day. Governor Fayose, who has been in office since October 16, 2014, is being wanted for questioning on several matters and once he loses his immunity, the EFCC will have the constitutional right to arrest, detain and prosecute him.

Having already said he will submit himself for questioning on October 16, Governor Fayose is expected to report at the EFCC's head office in Abuja to meet with its director of operations Umar Mohammed, after which he will be grilled by a team of operatives. Governor  Fayose is under investigation for allegedly receiving over N1.2bn from former national security adviser Col Sambo Dasuki, through a one-time minister of state for defence Senator Musiliu Obanikoro in 2014.

It is alleged that the money was allegedly handed over to Governor Fayose during the build-up to the 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State. Governor Fayose’s aide, Abiodun Agbele, and others have already been arraigned by the EFCC but the governor has not been because of his immunity.

One EFCC source said: “We are expecting Fayose to show up at our office next week. He has nowhere to run to since he is under security watch and cannot leave the country through any land border, seaport or airport.

“We have also set up a special team of investigators that will interrogate him immediately after the expiration of his tenure.”

Apart from the N1.2bn election saga, Governor Fayose is also under probe for contract fraud and it is expected that he will be arraigned after investigations. However, his spokesman Idowu Adelusi, said his principal was ready for the EFCC.

Mr Adelusi said: “Governor Fayose is an honourable man and he will not run away. He has already stated that he will make himself available next Monday once his tenure expires, he made this clear in a letter recently.

"Even when he was not under immunity, the governor honoured the EFCC invitations. The EFCC is not a court of law and cannot declare a person guilty, so the governor will be available next week, no doubt.”

Meanwhile, Governor Fayose has filed a N20bn suit against the EFCC for placing him on a watch list and directing security agencies to arrest him if he attempts to travel out of the country. He said the directive against him despite being a sitting governor breached his constitutional immunity and exposed him to public opium and ridicule.