The absence of an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, on Monday, stalled hearing in an alleged N6.9billion fraud and money laundering suit filed against Ayodele Fayose in a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Fayose was first arraigned on Oct. 22. 2018, before Justice Mojisola Olatotegun, alongside his company, Spotless Investment Ltd, on 11 counts bordering on fraud and money laundering offences.
He had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail on Oct. 24, 2018, in the sum of N50 million with sureties in like sum.
The defendant was subsequently, re-arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, on July 2, 2019, after the case was withdrawn from Justice Olatoregun, following EFCC’s petition.
He had also pleaded not guilty to the charges and was allowed to continue on the earlier bail granted, while the case was adjourned for trial.
The commission has since opened its case before Justice Aneke, and is still leading witnesses in evidence.
When the case was mentioned on Monday, the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, informed the Court that the prosecution witness who ought to testify in court was unavoidably absent .
On this premise, the prosecution prayed the court for an adjournment.
Defence counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo, SAN, did not oppose the request for adjournment.
Consequently, Justice Aneke adjourned the case until Oct. 20 for continuation of trial.
During trial before Olatoregun, the prosecution had called witnesses, from several commercial banks, as well as a former Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro.
According to the charge, on June 17, 2014, Fayose and one Abiodun Agbele were said to have taken possession of the sum of N1.2 billion, for purposes of funding his gubernatorial election campaign in Ekiti, which sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.
Fayose was alleged to have received a cash payment of the sum of five million dollars, (about N1.8 billion) from the then Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, without going through any financial institution.
He was also alleged to have retained the sum of N300 million in his account and took control of the aggregate sums of about N622 million which sum he reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.
Fayose was alleged to have procured De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd, to retain the aggregate sums of N851 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.
Besides, the defendant was alleged to have used the aggregate sums of about N1.6 billion to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja, which sums he reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.
He was also alleged to have used the sum of N200 million, to acquire a property in Abuja, in the name of his elder sister Moji Oladeji, which sum he ought to know also forms crime proceeds.
The offence, the EFCC said, contravened the provisions of sections 15(1), 15 (2), 15 (3), 16(2)(b), 16 (d), and 18 (c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.
The immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayo Fayose, on Monday, called on governments at all levels, religious bodies, corporate organisations and well-meaning individuals to focus on strategic implementation of “stomach infrastructure.”
Fayose, in a statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti through his Media Aide, Mr Lere Olayinka, said that his advice should be taken seriously.
According to him, hunger can kill faster than Coronavirus.
The former governor, who added that the human and economic losses, occasioned by the pandemic, would be mind-boggling, stressing “in the face of all these, leaders should remain as leaders and stand up for their people.”
He hailed the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for his pro-activeness and unrelenting efforts in the management of these challenges as well as his transparency and interface with the people.
Fayose particularly called on the Federal Government to emulate the Lagos State government and do more in the area of prompt information dissemination to stem the tide of misinformation in the country.
The statement read in part; “Regrettably, we all did not plan or ever imagined this level of attack, occasioned by COVID-19.
“Same has humbled the World Powers, not to talk of Third World countries like our country, Nigeria.
“The human and economic losses seem endless and in the face of all these, leaders must remain leader and stand up for their people.
“We all know the sit-at-home is inevitable; governors and council chairmen as well as churches and mosques that have received allocations and offerings must forget projects and embark on full scale strategic implementation of ‘stomach infrastructure’.
“It is time to give back to the people, as nothing else will matter now. Yam, cassava, garri and others can be bought locally and distributed, while bakers will be glad to be patronised to bake for people for free daily, while it lasts.
“This will help to enforce the government’s stay-at-home order effortlessly. The Federal Government will be making billionaires if the so-called palliatives and physical cash is managed by wrong hands.
“I appeal to the general public to show understanding, knowing that our challenges outweigh our income as at today.
“Today, I am sure what is on the minds of ordinary Nigerians is: ‘on stomach infrastructure we stand’. This, if well implemented, will no doubt help to enforce the stay-at-home order effortlessly.”
Recall that Fayose was an apostle of stomach infrastructure while in office as governor for second term and made it the hallmark of his administration, despite the huge criticism that greeted the idea.
A Federal High Court in Lagos, has fixed June 28, for re-arraignment of an embattled former Governor of Ekiti, Ayodele Fayose, facing charges of N6.9billion fraud.
Fayose was arraigned on Oct. 22. 2018, before Justice Mojisola Olatotegun, alongside a company, Spotless Investment Ltd, on 11 counts bordering on fraud and money laundering offences.
He is being posecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail on Oct. 24, 2018, in the sum of N50 million with sureties in like sum.
The prosecution had opened trial on Nov. 19, 2018, and had so far called 13 witnesses out of the15 listed.
However, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon.Justice Adamu Abdu-kafarati had transferred the case from Olatoregun, to a new judge. Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, following a petition by the EFCC seeking a transfer of the case.
A new date of June 28 has now been foxed for re-arraignment of Fayose before Aneke.
The CJ’s letter of transfer had read as follows:
“I refer to the petition of EFCC on this case and your Lordship’s comments thereto.
“It is apparent that the prosecution has lost confidence in the judge trying this case and justice must not only be done but must be seen to have been done, I hereby transfer this case to Hon. Justice C. J. Aneke for hearing,”
Recall that on March 20, a drama had ensued in court midway into trial, between the trial judge, (Olatotegun) and EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN).
The judge had raised concerns on the manner of prosecution by counsel, and had noted that the prosecutor, was not doing a good job, adding that he was not competent to evaluate the court’s ruling.
On his part, the prosecutor (Jacobs) had expressed displeasure at the rebuke from the court, on the grounds that hr had always dispensed his duties diligently, and had never been so derogated by any court.
Meanwhile, during the last proceedings of May 10, a 13th prosecution witness, Mr Adewale Aladegbola, a former driver of a billion van, had given evidences which the prosecutor described as being contrary to his extra judicial statement to the commission.
Flowing from that premise, the prosecutor had then informed the court that his witness appeared “hostile” and had then urged the court to adjourn the case to enable him make necessary application on the situation.
But, before trial could resume before Olatotegun, the transfer of the case had already been communicated to the court.
During trial before Olatoregun. the prosecution had called witnesses, from Zenith Bank, Diamond Bank, as well as a former Minister of State for Defence , Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro.
According to the charge, on June 17, 2014, Fayose and Agbele were said to have taken possession of the sum of N1.2 billion, for purposes of funding his gubernatorial election campaign in Ekiti State, which sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.
Fayose was alleged to have received a cash payment of the sum of five million dollars, (about N1.8 billion) from the then Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, without going through any financial institution and which sum exceeded the amount allowed by law.
He was also alleged to have retained the sum of N300 million in his bank account and took control of the aggregate sums of about N622 million which sum he ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.
Fayose was alleged to have procured De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd, to retain in their bank accounts, the aggregate sums of N851 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.
Besides, the accused was alleged to have used the aggregate sums of about N1.6 billion to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja, which sums he reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.
The accused was also alleged to have used the sum of N200 million, to acquire a property in Abuja, in the name of his elder sister Moji Oladeji, which sum he ought to know also forms crime proceeds.
The offence, the EFCC said contravened the provisions of sections 15(1), 15 (2), 15 (3), 16(2)(b), 16 (d), and 18 (c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.
A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday stood down for one hour, the fraud trial of the immediate past Governor of Ekiti, Ayodele Fayose, facing charges of N6.9 billion fraud.
A former Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, who is the fifth prosecution witness, was billed by cross examination on Monday.
He testified at the last adjourned date, on Jan. 21, saying that Fayose received five million dollars and some amounts of Naira from the impress account of a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, in June 2014.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun handling the trial, rose shortly after the court began sitting to attend an official function.
She said that she would be back in an hour to continue with the case.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fayose was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Oct. 22, 2018, alongside a company Spotless Investment Ltd., on 11 counts.
He, however, pleaded not guilty, and was granted bail in the sum of N50 million with one surety in like sum.
When the case was called on Monday, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) announced appearance for EFCC, while Messrs Kanu Agabi (SAN) and Olalekan Ojo (SAN) appeared for the defendant.
As existence draws curtains on the year 2018, TheNewsGuru (TNG) takes a look back at some unforgettable top trend moments of the year.
With President Muhammadu Buhari emergence as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2015 and as 2018 ushers in another election year to determine if he serves second tenure as a democratic president or is replaced, the years seems to be 3 years in one.
It seems 2018 is the year of the mother of all politics, especially as coalition such as the one seen pre-2015 general elections cropped up, however rickety, in earnest expectations to oust seating president Buhari, whom many in some quarters have judged to have performed below par.
From Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s recent stuttering at the vice presidential debates to former governor of Ekiti state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose’s ‘I’m in pains, I can’t take this anymore’ gimmicks to small girls who have big gods, 2018 seems to be the year of assurance; assurance?
The unforgettable trend moments in the year 2018 were just dropping, one by one, gbagam, and we bring them to you in this list ‘gbagamly’.
I’m in pains, I can’t take this anymore; EFCC I’m here
2018 would be incomplete without the mention of former governor of Ekiti state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, who many have judged, alongside Senators Dino Melaye and Ademola Adeleke, as the clowns of Nigerian politics.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlIYyZTHq6M/
While Senator Melaye is the all time musical politician Nigeria has known, and Senator Adeleke won the prize for the best dancer politician, former governor Fayose won the award for Nigeria’s best actor politician.
The year was dramatic when Mr. Fayose appeared on TV donning a neck gear and weeping accusing the Nigerian police to have beaten him up during a rally organised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state capital.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlGFwFSjCeT/
Nigerians will not forget in a hurry the polo t-shirt the former governor put on when he appeared at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters in Abuja.
Let’s not forget that our all time musical politician jumped off a moving vehicle in a ‘james bondic’ manner and then went on to spend 11 hours on top of a tree, escaping people, he said wanted to assassinate him.
The lawmaker, who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP alleged that his attackers were policemen.
PDP’s Vice Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi and his counterpart in APC, Yemi Osinbajo both stole the show as they battled each other at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja in the vice presidential dabate.
The internet was abuzz with uploads of memes, quotes, short videos, other form of excerpts from the debate session and of course Osinbajo’s stuttering caught the attention of Nigerians, who themselves also took over the heated conversation by citing some of the statistics doled out by the several vice presidential candidates to support their arguments who should be Nigeria’s next VP.
Candidly, I did not know how to spell out Osinbajo’s famous stuttering at the debate. Whether it is “why we were where were where” or “why we where were we were”, I really don’t know. But, what we all know is that our amiable VP said what he said. Thats all!
The police is your friend, so if we laugh over a transmission joke, they will understand. The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris Kpotun transmitted in the course of the year while trying to read his speech during a commissioning event.
President Muhammadu Buhari in April did not take it easy on the Nigerian youth at the Commonwealth Business Forum in London he attended.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the country’s young population he said just want government to hand them everything on a platter.
While the president did not explicitly say Nigerian youths are lazy, Nigerians felt bad by the comments he made that implied so.
One Anthony Okolo questioned the president about the Northeastern region of the country, which actually prompted Buhari’s reaction.
https://youtu.be/zzsxim-q-eo
Iberiberism
Okay, so, if anyone wants a statue of himself at any location of choice in Nigeria, we probably now know who to contract by now. In Imo State, it seems Governor Rochas Okorocha might be having the statue of every Nigerian in the locker room to erect somewhere. Lets not forget this is our happiness governor and the crooner of iberiberism.
What if you come to my state, I have collected N500 billion and the only thing I could show to you is borehole… for me that is what I call iberiberism, Okorochas said in an interview with Channels TV.
Whatever iberiberism meant in that syntactic structure, the term stood among the top trend moments of the year.
NYSC certificate
2018 might not be the best of years for former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun as reports emerged she allegedly skipped the compulsory one year National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) programme and forged her exemption certificate.
Adeosun, who is one of the best ministers, if not the best, President Buhari had was forced to resigned after investigations into the matter. The Adeosun certificate moment is one of the most powerful moments of the year.
Assurance
Of course, it seems 2018 is the year of assurance. If 2018 is not the year of assurance for you, it definitely was for Chioma Avril.
Nigerian music superstar, Davido orchestrated this unforgettable 2018 moment gifting Chioma, his girlfriend, a Porsche car which reportedly costs N45 million.
The 2018 lover boy also took to his Twitter handle to announce a N60 million endorsement deal for Chioma, and it did not end there.
The Nigerian pop star released a high-life mid-tempo song with a follow up Chioma-dedicated music video, in which Davido shows his romantic side, heaping praises on Chioma his lover.
Nigerians sure caught the fever, and 2019 may be the year of insurance.
Sweet Boys Association
Many know him as a rapper and actor, but Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana now loves to be called president of the Sweet Boys Association (SBA).
The entertainer calls SBA a prestigious league of well-mannered, well-clad and purposeful, ambitious gentlemen.
According to Falz, the inaugural members of the Sweet Boys Association are BBNaija star Tobi Bakre, media personality Noble Igwe, fashion designer Mai Atafo, singers Ric Hassani, Adekunle Gold and Banky W, actor Timini Egbuson, among others.
If you have not been living under a rock, the Sho mo age mi ni trend won’t be alien to you. ‘Sho mo age mi ni’ meaning ‘do you know my age?’ is a Yoruba jargon that trended on Nigerian social media platforms especially on Instagram.
The slang, made popular by budding Nigerian actor, Abimbola Kazeem a.k.a Jiganbabaoja, spread like wildfire with celebrities creating comedy skits from the trend.
2018 was the year of stew, as well, and this may echo forth into the year 2019.
Everywhere stew is a slang that can be attributed to Freedom Atsepoyi popularly known as Mr. Jollof, with stew becoming viral after Wizkid released his hit song titled ‘Fever’, in which he featured Tiwa Savage in the video.
Celebrities like D’banj and Don Jazzy also leveraged on the trend by using the slang to talk about their songs and activities.
Personally, I think Naomi Campbell won the ‘small girl, big god’ contest, if it were to be a contest actually. Campbell and Buhari allegedly stumbled upon each other at the launch of the Eko Atlantic City, and it was the talk of the town for a period of time in the year.
Campbell took a snapshot with Buhari and tweeted, “Was a pleasure to be invited by his Excellency, the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, to the private launch of Eko Atlantic @NGRPresident @MBuhari”.
When a typical Yoruba man says “I deserve some accolades”, it sounds like a person’s full name, like Adisa Sam Akolade, just like Toke Makinwa found out that “Able God” was not actually “Ebuka”.
Mr. Spellz
Internet sensation, Dede Nne aka Mr. Spellz gained prominence over a viral video he featured in where he misspelt ‘Buhari’, with Nigerians on social media in a bid to imitate his spelling errors created a trend from his mistakes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqJ1zZmDM2Y/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqJymLPDy7n/
The year 2018 was important, 2019 is importanter.
Did we miss out on any moment that should make TNG’s unforgettable top trend moments of 2018, drop it with a comment below… it’s importantest!
Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has clarified his stance on the fate of the immediate past governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose.
Fayemi spoke with State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Fielding questions whether he would probe his predecessor, Fayemi explained that there was never a time he said he would probe Fayose.
According to him, reports of such probe are on the table of anti-graft agencies.
“Well, I am sure I have never said anything about probe, and I do not say anything about probe.
“Looking into books is the duty of any new governor, you need to know what you found in place, I just talked about visitation panel into the education sector in the state.
“There are other sectors in the state, and it will be remiss of me not to check what we found when we came into office and share that with the citizens of the state.
“It is just accountability not probe. I am not EFCC I am not ICPC, there are institutions that are charged with the responsibility to do that and its entirely up to them if they want to probe the governor or not.
“ It is not my business, I leave Fayose to God, I have said that before.’’
Fayose is presently being prosecuted by the EFCC over an 11-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering.
Speaking on the state of education, Fayemi said that Ekiti had a tradition of being the intellectual capital of the country but it seemed to have lost that edge lately.
He said that his government was working toward repositioning the sector, particularly at the basic and tertiary levels.
The governor said that he had set up visitation panel in all the tertiary institutions in the state to review and recommend what the critical and challenging issues were and how government should respond to the yearnings of the sector.
He said the government was taking specific steps to address access to education in the basic education sub-sector.
“Before now, Ekiti used to be the leading state in terms of school enrollment in the country but the latest figures we received from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) makes it clear that we are lagging far behind.
“We have moved from 96 per cent enrolment in the entire country to about 45 per cent meaning that about 55 per cent of our school age children are of school.
“That is unacceptable in a state like Ekiti and we need to find out what has happened between 2014 and 2018 leading to this appalling figure in terms of school enrolment.
“And one of the very first things we are doing to improve enrolment is to make sure that all fees and levies in the primary and secondary sector are removed, so we have removed that.
“We have returned free compulsory and qualitative education to our basic education sector.’’
Fayemi said that the government was also doing all it could to encourage more students to come into school.
He said that the state government would commence the school feeding programme in Ekiti State in order to ensure that kids that did not have the opportunity to be in school were enrolled.
“We are also ensuring that we pay salaries regularly because you cannot expect parents who have not received salaries for six to 10 months on the one hand and the children are being asked to pay education levy on the other hand to have the capacity to send such children to school.
“So, it is a double whammy for such families, we need to make sure that education which we see in our party as a right and not a privilege at least at the basic level should be free, compulsory and qualitative and that is where we are returning Ekiti to,’’ he said.
The governor dismissed insinuations that he was having disagreement with the labour union in his state.
No fewer than six landed property allegedly owned by immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose were on Thursday sealed-off in Ado Ekiti by operatives of the EFCC.
The action may not be unconnected to a court order which authorised seizure of the property suspected to have been built with corrupt proceeds.
Fayose had earlier raised an alarm of deliberate `persecution and witch hunting’ after his last encounter with the EFCC.
The anti-graft had pressed charges against Fayose in a Federal High Court Lagos on allegations of fraud while serving as governor.
Parts of the notice of seizure placed by the anti-graft body on the property in Ado Ekiti, read thus: “EFCC, Keep-off’’, “Property under Investigation’’ among others.
However, Fayose had accused the EFCC of going about town sealing property belonging to innocent individuals arbitrarily under the guise that those properties belonged to him.
The former governor said this in a statement signed by his Media Assistant, Mr Lere Olayinka, and made available to newsmen.
Fayose said his response to the unfortunate incident was aimed at informing the public ahead of the EFCC’s usual blackmail and media trial.
“I have just been informed that operatives of the EFCC are going about sealing houses of innocent people in the state, under the guise that the houses are linked to me
“This is another wild goose chase and the usual media campaign against my person.
“It is only in our country that an anti corruption agency will first go about sealing houses before determining the ownership, which can be done so easily by visiting relevant agencies.
“I am therefore, informing the public ahead of their usual blackmail and media trial.
“Please note that none of the property in question is owned by me and the records are there for anyone that is interested to see
“The EFCC is advised to stop going about looking for ways to malign my person just because of their hatred as a result of my uncompromising stands on national issues.
“Even if the commission is being pressured from ‘above’ to persecute me at all cost, it should at least, do its job diligently to save itself from persistent embarrassment’’, he said.
Barely a week after the Bishop of Ekiti Catholic Diocese, Rt. Rev. Felix Ajakaye criticised the administration of former governor Ayodele Fayose, another Bishop again on Sunday described the ex-governor’s four-year second term as a waste.
Bishop of the Diocese of Ekiti, the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, the Rt. Rev. Christopher Omotunde gave the verdict at a thanksgiving for the new deputy governor, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi in Ado Ekiti.
Bishop Omotunde said Ekiti’s progress was stunted in the last four years of the former governor.
He described the tenure as “four wasted years in which life became unbearable for the people and in which hunger ravaged the land without any concrete effort to alleviate people’s poverty.”
“The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had a golden chance to make a difference in the lives of Ekiti residents but abused the opportunity to the extent that the people became slaves under them,” he said.
He, therefore, warned the new All Progressives Congress (APC) administration to learn from the mistakes of the immediate past government and never disappoint the teeming masses looking up to it for meaningful governance.
Omotunde who delivered his sermon at the Emmanuel Anglican Cathedral, Okesa, Ado-Ekiti, said Fayose should be particularly blamed for all that went wrong during his tenure
The bishop said Fayose’s daily criticisms and opposition to President Muhammadu Buhari, for instance, denied Ekiti of many benefits.
He said while Fayose was busy abusing the president, other wiser PDP governors were busy attracting projects to their states and financial support from the Federal Government because of their good relationship with the President.
The bishop, who described himself as “a father of all politicians”, said all members of his church belong to all political parties, and that he was duty bound to speak the truth when the need arises.
Omotunde said God had given Governor Kayode Fayemi another chance to make the difference in the lives of Ekiti people and must therefore not fail to do that because the expectations are very high.
He advised Fayemi to choose people who will be faithful in translating his dreams for the development of the state into reality and not those who would be advancing their personal and selfish interests.
The bishop said now that Fayemi’s party, APC, is in power at the federal level unlike what obtained during his first tenure, the Federal Government must grant all the requests of the governor to repair Ekiti and assist the state financially for its people to be relieved.
According to the Bishop: “This our God is a God of another chance. He gave PDP another chance also but unfortunately they abused the chance to the extent that people became slaves under them, they rendered everybody hopeless under them”.
“They bewitched everybody that our eyes were closed. They bewitched us that we called evil good and the few that their power of bewitchment had no effect upon prayed and God looked down from heaven and visited this state again opening another door for Fayemi’s government
“Your party (APC) is in power now, let them know that I said, it’s a government of another chance and God will try you again and see whether you will be faithful or not. It is left for you to prove yourself.
“Tell me of one youth that the immediate past government empowered? Even though they called it a government of Okada riders; how many Okadas did he buy for the youths?
“I was watching the television recently and Ebonyi State governor was listing his achievements in agriculture. He gave the Federal Government credit for his success and my (former) governor was also a PDP governor.
“In many states, Buhari had many achievements and successes to show but the only achievement here was the repair of Ado-Itawure Road. But our (former) governor would not give him room to work.
“The whole four years (under Fayose) was wasted; we were retrogressing, going backward. Many states were given opportunities in agriculture, nothing was given to Ekiti and all we needed was for the governor to give them land and banks were ready to finance the projects.
“With hunger ravaging the land, the former governor was collecting N1,000 from each pupil. What did he use the money to do? We did not see what they did with the money.
“Our people are hungry and they are suffering financial difficulties. They have been thrown into poverty so that they will become slaves to the ‘rock’ but God brought somebody who knows how to break the rock
into pieces”, he said.
Addressing the congregation, Egbeyemi called for the prayers and support of Ekiti people for the new government saying: “the welfare of the people remains the focal point of this administration.”
The service was attended by the wife of the governor, Bisi Fayemi; wife of the deputy governor, Margaret; Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeniran Alagbada and his wife Kike.
Others are former deputy governor, Prof. Dupe Adelabu; Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji; Chief of Staff, Mr. Biodun Omoleye; Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe and other traditional rulers.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos has said former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose should be remanded in prison custody pending the fulfillment of his bail condition.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Fayose, who was asked to deposit his international passport with the court, was granted bail, in sum of N50 million in bond, after hearing of his bail application at his second appearance before the Lagos Federal High Court.
He was also asked to provide a surety who must have landed property in Lagos, and who must also have three-year tax clearance in Lagos.
Fayose, arraigned on Monday, in his first appearance before Justice Olatoregun, prosecution counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo, had pleaded the court that Fayose be remanded in prison custody pending a trial date.
Fayose, alongside his company, Spotless Limited, was arraigned on an 11-count charge bordering on fraud and money laundering to the tune of N2.2bn.
The former governor is facing trial in connection with N1.299 billion and $5.3 million allegedly allocated to him out of the N4.65 billion slush fund shared by the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, through a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, according to an EFCC statement.
“Fayose acquired properties in some parts of Lagos and Abuja from the money, which was released for his 2014 governorship campaign,” EFCC alleges.
“That you, Mr. Ayodele Fayose and Mr. Abiodun Agbele (now facing another charge) on or about 17th June, 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, took possession of the sum of N1, 219, 000, 000.00 (One Billion, Two Hundred and Nineteen Million Naira) to fund your 2014 gubernatorial campaign in Ekiti State, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust/stealing and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) and (4) of the same Act.”
“That you, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, on or about 17th June, 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without going through the financial institution received cash payment in the sum of $5, 000, 000 (Five Million Dollars) from Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, the then Minister of State for Defence, which sum exceeded the amount authorised by law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 1 and 16 (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16 (2) (b) of the same Act,” EFCC counts read against Fayose in court on Monday.
However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him. It was in view of his plea the prosecution counsel had asked the court for a trial date and prayed that the defendant be remanded in prison custody.
However, counsel to the defendant, Kanu Agabi, SAN, told the court that he had served a bail application on behalf of this client on the prosecution, and pleaded with the court to remand his client in the EFCC custody.
Consequently, Justice Olatoregun adjourned the case to October 24, 2018 for hearing of the bail application and ordered the defendant to be remanded in EFCC custody pending hearing of the bail application.
Following Fayose’s bail application hearing, Justice Olatoregun has said he should be remanded in prison custody pending the fulfillment of his bail condition.
Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose might be remanded in prison custody on Wednesday if hearing on his bail application fails to pass through Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the former Governor was on Monday arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Olatoregun of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Fayose, alongside his company, Spotless Limited, was arraigned on an 11-count charge bordering on fraud and money laundering to the tune of N2.2bn.
The former governor is facing trial in connection with N1.299 billion and $5.3 million allegedly allocated to him out of the N4.65 billion slush fund shared by the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, through a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, according to an EFCC statement.
“Fayose acquired properties in some parts of Lagos and Abuja from the money, which was released for his 2014 governorship campaign,” EFCC alleges.
“That you, Mr. Ayodele Fayose and Mr. Abiodun Agbele (now facing another charge) on or about 17th June, 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, took possession of the sum of N1, 219, 000, 000.00 (One Billion, Two Hundred and Nineteen Million Naira) to fund your 2014 gubernatorial campaign in Ekiti State, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust/stealing and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) and (4) of the same Act.”
“That you, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, on or about 17th June, 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without going through the financial institution received cash payment in the sum of $5, 000, 000 (Five Million Dollars) from Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, the then Minister of State for Defence, which sum exceeded the amount authorised by law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 1 and 16 (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16 (2) (b) of the same Act,” EFCC counts read against Fayose in court on Monday.
However, the defendant, Fayose pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.
In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, asked the court for a trial date and prayed that the defendant be remanded in prison custody.
However, counsel to the defendant, Kanu Agabi, SAN, told the court that he had served a bail application on behalf of this client on the prosecution, and pleaded with the court to remand his client in the EFCC custody.
Consequently, Justice Olatoregun adjourned the case to October 24, 2018 for hearing of the bail application and ordered the defendant to be remanded in EFCC custody pending hearing of the bail application.
