EFCC Grills Fayemi Over N4bn Money Laundering

The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has grilled the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi.

Vanguard gathered that Fayemi arrived the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Commission at about 10am today (Thursday).

The former Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) was grilled by a team of investigators over allegations of misappropriation of funds to the tune of about N4billion during his administration.

Recall that in May 2023, it was reported that Fayemi, through his lawyer, Adeola Omotunde, SAN, pleaded with the EFCC to allow him to present a book in honour of the former President Muhammadu Buhari, on May 19, before honouring the agency’s invitation for questioning over allegations of money laundering.

The spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwujaren, declined comment concerning the matter.

“I can’t speak concerning that, please,” Uwujaren said.

Meanwhile, apart from Fáyẹmí, the EFCC has said it was also investigating the former governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, on allegations of corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70bn.

The EFCC said it was compelled to make the development public following the recent attempt by the outgoing governor to cast aspersions on the integrity of the agency’s fight against corruption.

The Director, Media and Public Affairs, EFCC, Osita Nwajah, who spoke on behalf of the Chairman of the agency, Abdulrasheed Bawa, made this disclosure in May while addressing journalists at the commission’s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.

Nwajah said, “It is intriguing that Matawalle would want to take on the role of a supervisor, who tells the EFCC whom to investigate. Is this a case of a ‘thief’ saying he must not be touched until other ‘thieves’ are caught?

“The real issue with Matawalle is that he is being investigated by the EFCC, over allegations of monumental corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70bn.

“The money, which was sourced as a loan from an old generation bank purportedly for the execution of projects across the local government areas of the state, was allegedly diverted by the governor through proxies and contractors who received payment for contracts that were not executed.

“The commission’s investigations so far revealed that more than 100 companies had received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the state. Some of the contractors who have been invited and quizzed by the commission made startling revelations on how they were allegedly compelled by the governor to return the funds received from the state coffers back to him through his aides after converting the same to United States dollars.

“They confirmed that they did not render any service to Zamafara State but were allegedly directed to convert the money paid to them into United States dollars and return to the state governor through some of his commissioners, notably the commissioners in charge of Finance and Local Government Affairs.”