Nigeria’s anti—graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invited and grilled several officials of the Ogun state government over allegations relating to handling funds belonging to the local governments in the state. The invitation was reportedly triggered by a letter written by one Wale Adedayo, a former Chairman of the Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state.
Adebayo reportedly wrote what was supposed to be a private letter to a former governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba, in August last year, accusing current Governor Dapo Abiodun of diverting about ₦10.8bn meant for the development of the council areas.
The letter, however, found its way into the media becoming a matter of public discourse.
Adedayo had also forwarded a petition to the EFCC calling for an investigation of the state government for the alleged financial infraction.
The state government, at the time, denied the allegation, explaining that it rather augmented the monthly Federal Government allocations sent to the local governments or else many of them would have found it impossible to fulfil their financial obligations like payment of salaries, among others.
Adedayo after his reported allegations against the state government was later impeached and he is currently standing trial before an Abeokuta Magistrate Court for raising false allegations and character defamation against Governor Abiodun.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, after news of the EFCC invitation broke, Adedayo said he heard about the invitation of some state officials by the EFCC over the matter.
“Yes, I heard about it on Tuesday. I am sure it is about the petition I sent to the EFCC. A lie can travel a thousand miles, the truth will catch up with it within a few seconds.
“A friend told me they were granted an administrative bail so they could return with some documents, which they claimed would exonerate them.”
Also confirming the story, the spokesman for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said ‘’I just called our Ibadan zonal office, and it was confirmed that some officials of the state government were invited for a chat in respect of an ongoing investigation, and they have since gone back to their state. Nobody was also detained.”
Asked to confirm that those invited were indeed Ogun State officials, the EFCC spokesman said, “I can only tell you that they are officials of the Ogun State government, and it was in connection with an ongoing investigation. It’s not more than that.”
When contacted, a special adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Media and Publicity, Kayode Akinmade, said, “I am currently out of town, so I am not aware of what you are talking about but in any case, anyone can write petition but that doesn’t mean that what you have written is the truth. The EFCC can also invite anyone but that doesn’t mean such a person has been indicted.”
