The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is looking for Mrs. Moji Ladeji, the
sister of Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, over a N200m house located at
44 Osun Crescent, Maitama, Abuja, a highbrow area in the nation’s capital.
According
to court documents, the building, which has since been sealed off by the EFCC,
was allegedly bought by Fayose from proceeds of corrupt practices but the title
documents of the house bear the name of Fayose’s sister, a move the commission
claimed was to cover the governor’s track.
Detectives
told our correspondent that Ladeji, who is based in the United Kingdom, would
need to explain her role in the alleged scam.
A
source in the EFCC stated, “We have been able to establish that the house was
bought from the proceeds of corrupt practices. The house was, however, bought
in the name of Fayose’s sister. We need to question her to determine her level
of involvement.
“We
know that she is based in the UK but she comes to Nigeria quite often. We want
her to come and tell us her side of the story.”
Fayose
had sued the EFCC for freezing his bank account following an allegation that he
received N1.219bn from the Office of the National Security Adviser through a
former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, as well as
kickbacks from state contractors.
However,
in a counter-affidavit, deposed to by Mr. Tosin Owobo on behalf of the EFCC,
the agency said Fayose used the N1.219bn as well as alleged kickbacks received
from the Ekiti State Government contractors to buy houses in Abuja and Lagos.
The
governor allegedly received kickbacks from about four Ekiti State Government
contractors – Samchese Nigeria Limited, Tender Branch Concept Nigeria Limited,
Hoff Concept Limited and Calibre Consulting Limited.
However,
instead of receiving cash, the governor allegedly instructed the companies to
buy houses for him in Lagos and Abuja.
The
houses located on Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, are said to be
worth about N1.1bn.
According
to the EFCC, the houses were bought in the name of J. J. Technical, a company
owned by Fayose and his wife, Feyisetan.
According
to the EFCC, the houses in Abuja were bought with different names.
While
the N200m house, located at 44 Osun Crescent, Abuja, was allegedly bought in
the name of Fayose’s sister, another property, located on 32 Yedseram Street,
Maitama, worth N270m, was bought in the name of a company.
The
affidavit reads in part, “The applicant (Fayose) also used the name of one Mrs.
Moji Ladeji (the applicant’s sister) to acquire a property situated at 44 Osun
Crescent, Maitama, Abuja, from the proceeds of the alleged offences of
receiving gratification and kickbacks.
“Apart
from fraudulently retaining the sum of N1,219,490,000.00, being part of the
N4,745,000,000.00, stolen from the treasury of the Federal Government through
the Office of the National Security Adviser, the applicant (Fayose) has also
received gratification in form of kickbacks from various contractors with the
Ekiti State Government such as Samchese Nigeria Ltd., Tender Branch Concept
Nig. Ltd., Hoff Concept Ltd. and Calibre Consulting Limited.”
Source:Sunday Punch
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