More facts have emerged on why some Ekiti State executive council
members and lawmakers were arrested by the Department of State
Services (DSS).
They are being investigated for various crimes, including alleged
murder, destruction of government property, tax evasion, fraudulent
procurement of judgment, attacks on courts and judges, fraudulent
diversion of reimbursement on federal roads, subversion of electoral
process, violence, among others.
The suspects are Commissioner for Finance Toyin Ojo; former Special
Adviser on Revenue Matters Ropo Ogunjobi and four lawmakers-Afolabi
Akanni (Efon), Musa Arogundade (Ado 1), Badejo Anifowose (Moba 2) and
Sina Animasaun (Ekiti West 2).
The suspects and others still yet to be arrested are also being
investigated for their roles as “strikers” during the June 21 2014
governorship election.
They are accused of carrying out attacks and pointing at opposition
figures who were arrested to pave way for rigging at various units.
A source told our reporter yesterday that Ojo has been telling his
interrogators all he knows about the alleged receipt of N5.8 billion
reimbursement from the Federal Government on the rehabilitation of
federal roads, including the Ado-Ifaki Road.
The reimbursement on the project executed by the Kayode Fayemi
administration was paid to the Ayo Fayose administration.
But it was not reflected in the 2015 budget speech presented by Fayose
to seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers of the Fourth
Assembly.
Ojo is also being grilled on the N2.4 billion Ecological Funds
received from the Federal Government but allegedly mismanaged with
available records tendered at DSS showing that only N400 million was
spent on ecological projects.
Our source also revealed that Akanni is being grilled for alleged
murder during a political crisis in Efon, assault on Justice John
Ademola Adeyeye, presentation of a forged House of Representatives
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election result for Ekiti North
2, which produced Thaddeus Aina as winner.
One of the aspirants, Cyril Fasuyi, presented evidence in court that a
forged result was presented when no election was held with Akanni at
the centre of the alleged fraud.
Akanni is also being investigated for blocking the highway during the
violence that trailed an attempt by the APC lawmakers in the Fourth
Assembly to impeach Fayose for alleged gross misconduct.
He is also under investigation for alleged complicity in the murder of
Kareem Modupe a.k.a. Eleyele during a political crisis in Efon last
year.
Kareem’s body is still in the mortuary.
DSS is also investigating him over a petition that he did not possess
a valid senior school certificate which is the minimum requirement to
contest for a House of Assembly seat.
He was said to have stopped education at Form Three at CAC Grammar
School, Efon Alaye.
The source said: “When he (Akanni) was asked in DSS custody about
where he had his secondary education, he said he attended a secondary
school in Lagos but he cannot remember the date.
“The lawmaker is being questioned for assaulting Justice Adeyeye
alongside another aide of Fayose, Ariyo Afolabi, who was rewarded with
the position of Special Assistant on Environment.
“The day of the incident coincided with the first day of sitting of
the Election Petition Tribunal when Fayose came to the court with a
large number of his supporters but he missed his way and a case was
being heard at Justice Adeyeye’s court.
“Adeyeye advised him (Fayose) to control his supporters but Akanni,
Ariyo and one Tunde assaulted him (Adeyeye) in the presence of
witnesses. All these he will tell the DSS in the course of their
investigation.”
The source also added that three lawyers in the Fayose administration
are being investigated for allegedly masterminding an attack on
Justice Isaac Olusegun Ogunyemi. who was hearing a suit filed by a
pan-Ekiti group known as E-11.
“Ogunyemi was to deliver a ruling to stay action on Fayose’s
swearing-in but these lawyers masterminded the sacking of the court by
inviting hoodlums who carried out the attack. The DSS is looking into
these cases hitherto buried,” the source said.
Arogundade is at the centre of a fraudulently procured judgment from
the Federal High Court, Abuja (Court 8) presided over by Justice Evoh
Chukwu in which a lawyer was hired for the candidate who won the Ado 1
primary, Odunayo Talabi (a.k.a. Arinka) without the latter’s
knowledge.
Arogundade sued PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
and Talabi and secured an order to accept his (Arogundade’s)
nomination and reject Talabi’s candidacy.
Talabi’s name had appeared on the INEC list of candidates and he had
been given nomination form by the electoral agency.
Talabi petitioned INEC and other relevant agencies, claiming he was
not put on notice and did not hire any lawyer to represent him.
Speaker Kola Oluwawole, who has not been arrested, is also under
investigation for allegedly destroying seven ballot boxes during the
House of Assembly election in Moba 1 after the results on the field
showed that the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Babatunde Yinka, had won.
The source explained: “You can check INEC and the police reports on
the election in which Oluwawole destroyed seven ballot boxes after he
had lost to the LP candidate.
“The record is also with DSS on the electoral fraud he (Oluwawole)
committed in the constituency.
“He blocked the highway up to Kwara State boundary on the election day.”
Ogunjobi is being grilled about N1.9 billion missing within one year
as he was alleged to have opened a separate account into which “big
returns” are diverted.
The source said: “Huge sums of money are transferred into accounts he
(Ogunjobi) opened with two new generation banks in Ado-Ekiti.
“He is building a petrol station and has built a mansion in his
hometown, Ayede-Ekiti and last year, he travelled to the United States
in December.
“He is expected to shed light on alleged fraudulent deals with a very
senior government official and he has been cooperating.”
Source: The Nation