EFCC Uncovers Fresh N.5bn alleged Scam Against Lagos Speaker As the Economic and Financial crimes commission, EFCC is prosecuting the embattled speaker of the lagos state house of Assembly Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji over allegations of corruption, money laundery and abuse of office before a federal high Court sitting in lagos, the operatives of the commission has uncovered a whooping sum of N500milllion scam against the embattled number lawmaker in the state. The recent discovery was when one Mr. Toyin Atekoja an accountant with the Lagos state house of Assembly told the operatives of the commission in his confessional statement made available to Sunday pilot how the embattled speaker instructed him to pay the sum of N500million to his personal Assistance Mr. Bode Atoyebi for maintenance of his guest house. In the statement of witness/accused form of the EFCC obtained also revealed that several amount of money under different sub-headings were collected on behalf of the speaker by his aid. Investigation reveals that the speaker was using his aid to siphoned the state assembly funds under fictitious sub-headings amounting to over N1billion. All the monies were fixed in the speaker personal accounts using companies names and cronies in some new generations bank. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had in 2011 arraigned the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, for alleged corruption. Charged along with the speaker is his Personal Assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi. They are facing an amended 20- count charge at a Federal High Court, Lagos. The EFCC alleged that the defendants had sometime between April 2010 and July 2011 conspired and accepted various cash payments amounting to N503 million from the House without going through a financial institution. Ikuforiji and his aide were initially charged before Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in December 2011, but the judge later opted out of the case. The case was re-assigned to another judge in the court, Justice Okechukwu Okeke who has retired too. At the resumed hearing of the case, Counsel to the EFCC, Chief Godwin Obla, SAN told the court that the prosecution was ready to go on with the trial and demanded that the charges should be read to the defendants. Counsel to the defendants, Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), however, did not object to the prosecution’s insistence to go on with the case. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. In his ruling, Justice Okeke, granted bail to Ikuforiji on self-recognition, but asked the speaker’s aide, Atoyebi, to produce a surety before being granted bail. Trial judge, Justice Buba has fixed march 17 and 18, 2014 for continuation of trial.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 05:48:26 +0000
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