Fayose returns to his Abuja home after daring EFCC denying he ever received money from Obanikoro

FORMER Ekiti State governor Ayo Fayose has been allowed to return home after visiting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday after being asked to write a statement explaining how he spent N1.3bn he received from former national security adviser Col Sambo Dasuki.

At 1pm yesterday afternoon, Mr Fayose turned up at the EFCC's offices in Abuja as promised dining a black T-shirt saying EFCC I'm Here. Accompanied by leading members of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) including Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Mr Fayose was as defiant as ever, daring the EFCC to do their worst and insisting that his prosecution was political.

Arriving with a retinue of supporters, Mr Fayose was received by the EFCC who asked him to explain what he did with the money he received from Col Dasuki through a former minister of state for defence Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, during the build-up to the 2014 Ekiti State governorship election. Apparently, the commission asked him to return the money but it is believed that the former governor refused to admit to collecting any cash.

One EFCC source said:  “We have treated Fayose with respect since he arrived in our office. We asked him about the money he received from Obanikoro and when he would return it but he is denying everything.

“He said in his statement on oath that he never received any money despite the overwhelming evidence. The man is refusing to cooperate despite the overwhelming evidence we have.”

According to the EFCC, the funds traced to Mr Fayose are part of the N4.7bn handed to Senator Obanikoro by Col Dasuki. While about N1.3bn was given to Mr Fayose, another N1.3bn was also handed over to the PDP governorship candidate in Osun State in 2014, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

These funds were said to have been transported from Lagos to Ekiti State by air and since the investigation began in 2015, the EFCC has interrogated over 20 persons. Apart from Senators Obanikoro and Omisore, others interrogated by the EFCC include Captain Ahmed Borodo, the pilot whose plane was used, Senator Obanikoro's aide-de-camp Lt Olumide Adewale and Mr Fayose’s aide Abiodun Agbele.

Mr Fayose’s lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome, said the former governor would not compromise himself in the name of administrative bail. He added that Mr Fayose’s accounts had already been frozen by the commission and was already in court over the matter.

Chief Ozekhome added: “Fayose is not like other Nigerians that the EFCC will bamboozle and force and blackmail to make refunds. Why tell a man to refund the money he has not admitted to receiving when the matter is in court?

“If they offer him an administrative bail with no strings attached, which is not a Greek gift, then he should take it.” He asked the EFCC not to keep Mr Fayose for more than 24 hours as failure to release him would be an abuse of his rights and the commission subsequently released him to return to his Abuja home for now.