Omisore reacts on EFCC wanted declaration

– Ex-governor declared wanted by EFCC
says the agency cannot declare him
wanted
– Insists that he was in court with the
agency on Tuesday morning
– Calls on Nigerians to warn the EFCC
against maligning his character
– Beckons on EFCC to bring facts to court
and not damage his reputation
Senator Iyiola Omisore, the ex-deputy
governor of Osun state, has reacted to
reports that he is wanted by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

There had been reports earlier that the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
gubernatorial candidate in the last
governorship election in Osun, is being
wanted by the EFCC over his role in the
infamous Ekitigate election scandal.
According to the report, he was said to
have collected and squandered about
N700million which he reportedly collected
from the office of the National Security
Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, who is also
being prosecuted over misappropriation of
arms deal fund.
But in a swift reaction to the report,
Omisore noted that he was in court with
the EFCC at about 9am on Tuesday, and
that there was no way he would have
been declared wanted by the anti-
corruption agency when they had just left
court.
Senator Iyiola Omisore replies EFCC
venomously, says he never collected
anything from Dasuki.
The statement obtained by NAIJ.com
reads: “I read the statement issued by the
Econimic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) purportedly declaring
me wanted as an attempt by that
organisation and its leadership to tarnish
my image.
“That statement, if indeed it was issued
by the EFCC, is the height of mischief and
a deliberate attempt to assassinate my
character. It is now very clear that the
EFCC is indeed playing out the script of
persecuting and harassing perceived
opposition groups in the country.
“To be sure, there is no basis for the EFCC
so-called statement. Only on Tuesday, May
24, we appeared in court with the EFCC
asking for the permission of the court for
an extension of time in the preliminary
objection to a suit filed against me.”
Citing reasons he cannot be indicted in
the multimillion naira election fraud
scandal, Omisore, via the statement
informed that, “the Managing Director of
Firmex Gill which the EFCC joined in
their case indemnified me from the
company’s contracts and any such
obligations.
“In other words, there is nothing relating
to me in the company’s contract deal with
the Office of the National Security Adviser
(ONSA). The company has even sued the
ONSA for its inability to pay the balance
of the contract so awarded to it.
“Therefore, I am not aware of any issue
relating to a contract sum of N700 million.
There was no issue of N700 million
anywhere. The relationship between the
company and ONSA is civil and
contractual, which has nothing to do with
me. Besides, so long as their business
transactions are legitimate and since I am
not directly managing the company, how
am I to know who and who they do
business with?
“The EFCC should not be seen laying the
role of political victimisation of innocent
individuals, coercion and blackmail. Sadly
that is simply what this organisation has
been doing. Blackmail, I strongly believe,
won’t help EFCC. If the organisation and
its leadership think they have any case
against me, they should come to court
with their facts.
“This act of blackmail and deliberate
tarnishing the image of perceived political
enemies won’t help the image of the EFCC
and it won’t get it result.”
While appealing to civil society groups to
come to his aid, the ex-senator said: “How
can you declare someone you were in
court with at 9.00a.m today wanted the
same day, a few hours afterwards?
“I am appealing to all human rights and
civil society organisations to caution EFCC
from damaging my reputation further. If
they have facts, I challenge them to bring
them to court and not resort to blackmail,
intimidation and victimisation.”
Meanwhile, Brigadier General Aliyu
Momoh, who achieved notoriety by
overseeing the rigging of a governorship
election in Ekiti state in 2014, has been
asked to resign.
The defence minister Dan Ali revealed
General Momoh’s military career was over
in an exclusive interview in Washington
DC, the capital of the US.
Ali was in the US to attend a nuclear
power summit convened by President
Barack Obama.