Drama As EFCC Raids Ambode Houses In Lagos Over Alleged N9.9bn Fraud
There was drama in Epe area of Lagos Tuesday when residents of the community attacked operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) that raided the house of the immediate past governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode located in the community.
It was learnt that the EFCC operatives had carried out extensive search in his house before the kinsmen got wind of their presence and pounced on them, pelting the bus that conveyed them to the house with stones.
Meantime, former Governor of the state Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has confirmed the raid on his houses in Lagos by the EFCC, even as the anti-graft claimed that they only raided the house of the former Chief of Staff Mr. Olakunle Ojo.
But in a swift reaction, the immediate Chief of Staff to the former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Samuel Olukunle Ojo, has debunked the claims by the EFCC, saying facts were being misrepresented.
Ojo, in a statement by his Media aide, Cornelius Kayode, said the house raided in Epe did not belong to the former Chief of Staff because according to him, ” Mr Kunle Ojo did not have any personal house in Epe”.
He maintained that the house raided by the EFCC operatives allegedly belongs to the former Personal Assistant to the immediate past Governor of Lagos State, Mr Bunmi Ariyo.
He therefore enjoined member of the public to as a matter of urgent need disregard the purported trending news on the social media.
Confirming the raid, Ambode, in a statement signed by his media aide, Habib Aruna, the former governor admitted that his Epe country home and Parkview, Ikoyi, Lagos houses were searched without any incident.
However, he lamented that the commission, till date, had not opened any direct communication with him on any issue,, assuring that he was ready and willing to respond if or when they do so.
The statement read: “This morning(yesterday), operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes commission visited the Epe Country home and Parkview Ikoyi residence of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, former governor of Lagos State, with warrants to conduct a search. These searches were carried out extensively and at the end of the exercise the operatives left without any incident.
“The former governor reiterates that the EFCC has till date not had any direct communication with him on any subject matter whatsoever and if or when it occurs he is ready and willing to respond.
Ambode, who reiterated his belief in the rule of law and due process, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to have served the state diligently and conscientiously.
The former governor assured his supporters and the generality of Lagosians to continue to remain calm and law-abiding as there is no cause for alarm.
The ex-governor, who insisted that those accounts being referred to were opened and operated by the Lagos State Government, added that under his administration, no account of his contained N9.9bn let alone being frozen by the commission.
Before yesterday’s raid, the EFCC had opened an investigations on alleged N9.9 billion fraud allegedly traced to three Lagos State accounts set to have been operated during the administration of the governor Ambode.
Alhough the governor had denied that no such account was traced to him, the case is still pending in a Lagos High Court.
The EFCC said Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, ordered the freezing of the sum of N9.9bn belonging to the Lagos State Government.
It said: “The funds are domiciled variously in First City Monument Bank account number 5617984012; Access Bank account number 0060949275; and Zenith Bank account number 1011691254, respectively.
“Justice Chuka Obiozor gave the order, following an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“The EFCC had prayed the court to freeze the accounts pending the conclusion of investigations and possible prosecution of Adewale Adesanya, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Chief of Staff to former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.”
“The Judge adjourned further proceedings to September 9, 2019.”
