The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has obtained a remand order from a Federal Capital Territory High Court to keep former Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State in its custody for two weeks.
The remand order gotten by the EFCC is subject to renewal implying that the former governor would be detained longer than two weeks.
According to a source within the EFCC;
“We have obtained a court order to hold Fayose for at least two weeks pending investigation. He could be released earlier or later than two weeks depending on the outcome of investigation.”
Ayo Fayose who surrendered himself to the EFCC at the expiration of his tenure as Governor of Ekiti State on October 16 is being accused of allegedly receiving N1.3bn from the Office of the National Security Adviser through former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, during the build-up to the 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State.
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EFCC sources however also revealed that Fayose is also being investigated for allegedly receiving kickbacks from government contractors through his aide, Abiodun Agbele, who is currently on trial for fraud.
“We have many cases against Fayose being handled by three different teams. We cannot just arraign him immediately. We want to do a thorough job before taking him to court.” The source revealed.
Fayose’s lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), has however threatened to sue the EFCC for breach of the fundamental human rights of the ex-governor if they refuse to release the former governor today, Thursday October 18.
Ozekhome (SAN) said the EFCC began investigating Fayose over two years ago and that he wondered why the agency would decide to hold him for over 24 hours when it wasn’t a fresh investigation.
He said further that the commission could not force Fayose to write any statement as he reserved the right to remain silent and the remand order purportedly obtained by the EFCC amounted to an Illegality based on an order of the Supreme Court.
Ozekhome also said since the former governor’s accounts had been frozen and his properties seized by the commission, there was nothing for the ex-governor to tell the EFCC as the matter was already in court.
“His lawyers will consider approaching the court for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights if he is not released on Thursday. Section 35 and 36 of the constitution are clear on this.
He is not a flight risk. He willingly submitted himself to the EFCC even earlier than the time he was supposed to come. What the EFCC is doing is nothing but media trial.
From the way they have been chasing Fayose in the last three years, one would have expected that the EFCC would have completed its investigations and would arrest him immediately his tenure expires and charge him the next day but that is not the case.
They want him to write a statement by force and then use the statement against him instead of using their own evidence.” He stated.