EFCC on Fayose sister’s tail over N200m Abuja mansion
Mrs. Moji Ladeji, the sister of Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over a N200m Abuja mansion located at 44 Osun Crescent, Maitama, a highbrow area in the nation’s capital.
Courts documents show the building, which has since been sealed off by the EFCC, was allegedly paid for by Fayose but the title documents of the house bear his sister’s name, a move the commission claimed was to cover the governor’s track.
The documents allege that the money used in buying the house was from proceeds of corrupt practices on Fayose’s part.
A source in EFCC told PUNCH that Mrs. Ladeji, who is based in the United Kingdom, would need to explain her role in the alleged scam.
“We have been able to establish that the house was bought from the proceeds of corrupt practices. The house was, however, bought in the name of Fayose’s sister. We need to question her to determine her level of involvement,” the source said.
“We know that she is based in the UK but she comes to Nigeria quite often. We want her to come and tell us her side of the story.”
Following the EFCC’s seizure of Fayose’s bank account over allegations that he received N1.219bn from the Office of the National Security Adviser through former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, as well as kickbacks from state contractors, the governor had sued the commission.
The commission, in a counter-affidavit deposed by Mr. Tosin Owobo on behalf of the EFCC, said Fayose spent the N1.219bn as well as alleged kickbacks received from the Ekiti State Government contractors on houses in Abuja and Lagos.
About four Ekiti State government contractors – Samchese Nigeria Limited, Tender Branch Concept Nigeria Limited, Hoff Concept Limited and Calibre Consulting Limited – were mentioned to have allegedly given kickbacks to Fayose, as the governor allegedly instructed the companies to buy houses for him in Lagos and Abuja instead of giving him cash.
EFCC accuses Fayose of buying several other houses in Abuja under different names, while houses located on Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, said to be worth about N1.1bn, were also bought in the name of J. J. Technical, a company owned by Fayose and his wife, Feyisetan.
Another property in Abuja, located on 32 Yedseram Street, Maitama, was allegedly bought in the name of a company. EFCC puts the property’s worth at N270m.
The affidavit reads in part, “The applicant (Fayose) also used the name of one Mrs. Moji Ladeji (the applicant’s sister) to acquire a property situated at 44 Osun Crescent, Maitama, Abuja, from the proceeds of the alleged offences of receiving gratification and kickbacks.
“Apart from fraudulently retaining the sum of N1,219,490,000.00, being part of the N4,745,000,000.00, stolen from the treasury of the Federal Government through the Office of the National Security Adviser, the applicant (Fayose) has also received gratification in form of kickbacks from various contractors with the Ekiti State Government such as Samchese Nigeria Ltd., Tender Branch Concept Nig. Ltd., Hoff Concept Ltd. and Calibre Consulting Limited.”
