The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun plans to seize some properties worth up to N1.35 billion connected to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State.
The houses to be confiscated by the anti-graft agency include, four duplexes at Victoria Island in Lagos State and one located at 44 Osun Crescent, Maitama, Abuja.
The Punch quoted a source on Thursday as saying that the houses were allegedly purchased with illegitimate funds, stating that the EFCC could invoke the Assets Forfeiture clause to seize the properties in line with sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13 (1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004.
The source added:- “Investigations showed that the properties were bought with bribes from Ekiti State contractors. Some of the properties were not bought in Fayose’s name but through proxies. So, we will seize all the properties by God’s grace.”
The anti-graft commission is at present probing Fayose for allegedly receiving N1.219bn from the Office of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki through a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.
Following the freezing of Fayose’s Zenith Bank accounts, the anti-graft agency alleged that it had uncovered details of how the governor had been receiving kickbacks from state contractors.
Reacting with a rebuttal, Fayose maintained that all the properties linked to him were not bought with stolen funds.
The Special Assistant to the Ekiti Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, who spoke on behalf of his principal, said any property that might be linked to him or his company was “bought legitimately and his properties were duly declared in his assets declaration form and sources of such funds were not illicit.”
He said since the money he got for his election was from legitimate sources and not from the ONSA, “how the money is spent remains his own business and not that of anyone.”