Former governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode says the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has yet to invite him in connection with the alleged fraud of N9.9 billion transactions involving three different accounts traced to the Lagos State under his administration just as he denies any shady deal while serving as governor.
Ambode, who reacted to the allegation on Friday via a statement by his media aide, Habib Aruna, said the accounts frozen by the EFCC via the order of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, were not his personal accounts but those of Lagos State.
The former governor denied having an account which contain N9.9billion let alone being frozen by the EFCC. Ambode said while he did not intend to join issues with the anti-corruption agency at this time especially as there has been no communication between him and the commission on this issue, “it is pertinent to clarify what he believed was a misleading import of the press statement on Tuesday.
According to him, “those accounts were opened in the course of normal operations by the Lagos State government for its administrative purposes and not for the former governor’s personal transactions as was being wrongly insinuated and have been operated to ensure smooth operations of government activities by previous and present administrations.
The former governor was not and will never be involved in any unauthorised use of government property and resources.
“We strongly believe that after four demanding years as chief executive of Lagos State, Ambode is entitled to some deserved rest with his family and loved ones without the unwarranted attacks on his well-earned reputation,” the statement said.
Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, had granted the prayers of the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, August 6 to freeze three accounts traced to Lagos State under Ambode as governor.
Obiozor gave the order, following an ex-parte application filed by the EFCC. The commission had prayed the court to freeze the account pending the conclusion of investigation and possible prosecution of Adewale Adesanya, the permanent secretary in the Office of the Chief o Staff to former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
The applicant, EFCC, in an affidavit deposed to by Kungmi Daniel, an operative of the Commission, stated that there was “a huge inflow of N9,927,714,443.29” from the state accounts into an FCMB bank account opened on September 17, 2018 during the administration of the immediate past governor of the state, Akinwunmi Ambode, and operated by Adesanya.
It was further stated that the schedule of the FCMB account showed how Adesanya and other signatories to the account made fraudulent transfer from the accounts of the Lagos State government and dissipated the funds housed in the said accounts.
In his submission, counsel to the EFCC, Mohammed Abbas, said “The trend in the account is that the account always witnessed huge inflow from Lagos State Government in the above scheduled accounts managed by the respondent (Adesanya)”.
Abbas, therefore, prayed the court to grant an order to temporarily attach and take over the accounts to enable it conclude its investigations.
“There have been concerted efforts and attempts to dissipate the contents of the accounts listed in the schedule to this application.
“Without freezing the nominated accounts and temporarily forfeiting the money to the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, there is no way the fraud being perpetrated using the scheduled accounts can be stopped,” he further told the court.
Consequently, Obiozor granted the prayers of the counsel to the commission.
The judge adjourned further proceedings to September 9, 2019, the statement said.
JOSHUA BASSEY
