Fayemi: Why I was at EFCC office

The immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, says he is not under probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged money laundering of N4 billion.

The Star had reported that the EFCC, on Thursday, June 1, interrogated Fayemi at its command office in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, for an alleged N4 billion fraud.

The probe is said to be connected to the handling of funds during his tenure as governor of Ekiti State.

Fayemi was governor of the state from 2018 to 2022. He had earlier served from 2010 to 2014 before he lost his re-election to former Governor Ayodele Fayose.

Speaking on the development, the former Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), in a statement issued on Friday, June 2, by his media aide, Ahmad Sajoh, said “no such allegation was raised during his conversation” with the EFCC operatives.

Sajoh noted that all Fayemi did during his interrogation by the EFCC officers was respond to a petition from a group, Ekiti Patriotic Coalition, which was trying to soil the former governor’s name and image.

He, however, confirmed that the anti-graft agency invited the former governor to appear in its Kwara office over allegations bothering on money laundering.

He stated: “We would like to address the concerns surrounding the invitation and subsequent visit of Dr Kayode Fayemi, the immediate past governor of Ekiti State and former Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, to the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“Last month, Dr Fayemi received an invitation from the Ilorin office of the EFCC regarding a money laundering petition against him. It was during the height of the preparations for the change of government, with many activities and programmes lined up as part of the event.

“A key member of the APC, Dr Fayemi was already committed to playing important roles at these events and his non-appearance would have impacted them significantly.

“Understanding the significance of his commitments at that time, Dr Fayemi duly notified the EFCC of his willingness to cooperate but requested a more suitable date for his appearance.

“We firmly believe that Dr Fayemi’s visit has provided answers to the agency’s inquiries regarding the petition. However, should there be a need for further clarification, Dr Fayemi stands ready to cooperate fully.

“We wish to note, too, that contrary to the news that made the rounds about a purported N4bn fraud case against Dr Fayemi, no such allegation was raised in his conversation with the EFCC.

“All he did was respond to a frivolous petition from a faceless group, the so-called Ekiti Patriotic Coalition, which we strongly believed is a front for some anti-Fayemi politicians, who are trying to soil the former governor’s good name and image.”

The governor’s media aide added that Fayemi served the people of Ekiti State with utmost dedication and was renowned for his principled leadership during his eight-year tenure.

The Star