The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate report of $50,000 (N20,000,000) theft in the Ekiti State Government House.
It claimed the alleged theft involved Governor Ayodele Fayose’s aides and a woman who allegedly bolted with $125,000 (N75m) without trace.
It said the anti-graft agency must fulfil its mandate of checking frauds and investigation of questionable sources of money among Nigerians whose lifestyles do not support their sources of income.
Reports have been rife on social media over alleged stealing of $125,000 (N75m) involving a woman and some domestic aides of the governor.
Fayose’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, debunked the report, saying it was a false alarm by the opposition APC to discredit the governor.
But on Wednesday, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu arraigned two of the named governor’s aides, Bamidele Temitope and Afolabi Sunday, including a street foreign exchange operator, Shuaibu Amidu, at the Ekiti State Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, for stealing and conspiracy.
In the charge sheet, the suspects were accused of conspiring to steal $50,000 belonging to the governor’s Personal Assistant on Domestic Affairs, Sunday Omosilade.
Reacting in a statement in Ado-Ekiti, APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, disputed claim that the stolen money belonged to the governor’s domestic aide, arguing that it was a smokescreen to hide the true identity of the owner of such huge sums in cash in the Government House.
He said: “When the story of this theft was broken by an online publication, Olota News Review, Fayose’s PA on Domestic Affairs, Sunday Omosilade, was alleged to be part of the theft and was punished for his disloyal conduct by posting him from the Office of the Governor to the Office of the Wife of the Governor.
“Latest information is that Omosilade knows too much about personal and domestic affairs of the first family, hence the soft-landing arranged for him instead of outright dismissal that could have unpredictable consequences.
“This is a case in which the EFCC must come in because it is a case of money laundering in the Government House of Ekiti State.”
Insisting that the money belonged to the governor who was only using his aide as a cannon-folder to hide the alleged crime of money laundering, Olatunbosun added: “Sunday Omosilade was among the accused immediately the incident happened and we wonder how the same man suddenly turned the owner of the stolen money.
“Omosilade is a 42-year NCE holder with no record of high profile appointment until he was appointed PA on Domestic Affairs to the governor.
“The questions we ask are: How did Omosilade turn from an accused to a complainant? How did he come about $50,000 cash which is the equivalent of N20,000,000? Why did the governor demote him and send him packing from the Government House to the office of his wife? If Omosilade is the owner of the money, why did the governor punish him?
“What is his salary and how did he come about having $50,000 in his possession? Is he being paid in hard currency?”
Olatunbosun alleged that to punish Omosilade for his “disloyal conduct”, the governor recently bought new vehicles for his aides except Omosilade for his role in the alleged N75m theft, explaining that Fayose’s attitude to Omosilade showed that the money actually belonged to the governor.
He faulted the governor’s failure to pay workers’ salaries and pensioners allowances but could play with so much cash in hard currencies, such that his female friend could steal a whopping N75m.
He also alleged that the governor recently bought new vehicles for his personal aides after he had allegedly auctioned servisable government vehicles to them at give away prices, even as he frowned at such insensitive conduct while workers and pensioners suffered unpaid salaries and allowances.
Olatunbosun urged EFCC to invite Omosilade to answer questions on how he came about $50,000 without records of working in agencies that pay in dollars.
“Even though we know that he is being used to cover his boss in this clear case of money laundering, Omosilade’s accounts must be probed by EFCC to know the details in his accounts balances and he must explain how he came about having $50,000 in his possession in the Government House.
“We have been vindicated in our claim that Fayose has been engaging in a large-scale money laundering of the Dasuki arms scandal cash and the bailout funds he collected from the Federal Government for his personal use instead of spending it to pay workers’ salaries,” Olatunbosun concluded.
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