The embattled Governor of Ekiti State,
Ayodele Fayose’s associate Abiodun
Agbele wired N1.35billion into three
accounts to pay for four of the five
duplexes the governor allegedly bought in
Lagos, it was learnt yesterday.
The laundering of the cash was staggered
to, detectives believe, cover up the details
from the prying eyes of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC uncovered the lodgments in
these accounts: FCMB belonging to
Siqnachor (0519693019), First Bank of
Nigeria (1000070240) and Zenith Bank
(1014016919) of Still Earth Limited.
But the owner of Still Earth Limited,
Oyindamola Adeyemi, has told the EFCC
that her company neither secured a
contract from Fayose, nor offered him
kickback.
She said the governor was yet to pay the
agency fees to Still Earth on the four
duplexes he acquired at Tiamiyu Savage
Street on Victoria Island.
The facts on how Fayose, through his
detained associate Agbele, paid for the
duplexes are contained in some EFCC
documents.
A top source said: “The payments were
effected through De-Privateer Limited,
which is owned by Agbele. The governor
and his associate knew that they were
involved in money laundering and they
cleverly opted to stagger the funds.
“We have retrieved the list of lodgments
made by De-Privateer into three accounts,
including FCMB belonging to Siqnachor
(0519693019), First Bank of Nigeria
(1000070240) and Zenith Bank
(1014016919) of Still Earth Limited.
The breakdown of some of the remittances
is as follows: First Bank—N40m (29/1/15);
N39.5m (30/1/15); N132.5 (30/1/ 15);
N3.2m (4/2/15); N980, 000(4/2/15);
N200m (17/2/15); N47m (13/2/15); N50m
(13/2/15).
The lodgments in an account in Zenith
Bank (1014016919) include N42.5m
(9/4/15); N25m (23/4/15); and N229m
(6/3/15).
Agbele, also through De-Privateer, paid
N200million into the account of Siqnachor
Integrated Limited in FCMB (0519693019)
on March 9, 2015.
The EFCC source added: “You can see what
Fayose did with state funds within the first
six months in office. This is just a segment
of our ongoing investigation of the
governor.
“We are yet to shift focus to other areas
where state funds were diverted into
personal use or associates’ accounts.”
Responding to a question, the source said:
“We are going ahead with Friday’s
interaction with three more people on the
five properties bought by the governor.”
Still Earth boss Adeyemi has said that she
neither executed any contract or gave
Fayose kickback.
Adeyemi, who made the clarifications
against the backdrop of the affidavit of the
EFCC at the Federal High Court, said her
company rejected a N5billion project from
Ekiti State Government in lieu of the agency
fees on the four duplexes in Lagos.
Adeyemi said: “I didn’t do any contract and
I never gave any kickback to the governor.
Fayose offered us a N5billion contract but
we were circumspect and we rejected it.
“In fact, at the time Fayose came up with
the contract idea, our company’s
relationship with him had gone sour.
“Still Earth is a construction and real estate
firm. They bought four chalets from us
through De-Privateer Limited. It was De-
Privateer that paid us. So, if anybody or
company offered kickback to the governor,
it must be De-Privateer.
“I felt sad that Still Earth has been linked to
the kickback when we didn’t do any project
in Ekiti State.
