Ibadan – The Economic Financial and Crime Commission (EFCC) has arrested the Oyo State Accountant-General, Alhaji Gafar Bello, over an alleged laundering of N9 billion.
A source close to the office of the accountant-general confirmed the development on Monday, February 28.
It was learnt that the money was deducted from the local government funds which the governor of the state, Seyi Makinde, allegedly planned to use to finance his 2023 re-election.
According to the source, the money was siphoned through the Director of Treasury in the office of the Accountant General, Mr. Michael Ayanniyi, who is now at large.
The source said Bello was arrested on Friday when EFCC was alerted about a N9 billion found in the account of a yet-to-be-identified politician, who was arrested along with the Accountant-General.
When arrested , the politician it was gathered told the EFCC that the money was deposited in his account by the Accountant General.
The source said, “Men of the EFCC were in our office today. Oga was arrested on Friday and he is still in their custody.
“The director of Treasury, Mr. Michael Ayanniyi has fled. I am not sure but I heard somebody saying the money was stolen to finance 2023 elections in the state.
Some people said the money was taken from local government funds.”
Confirming the development , a source at the Ibadan Zonal Office of the EFCC said; “Yes, he was arrested.”
The source, however, refused to speak further on his arrest.
Meanwhile, the Oyo state government has confirmed the arrest of the Accountant General of the State, Alhaji Gafar Bello by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The state government made the confirmation in a statement issued in Ibadan on Tuesday by Dr Wasiu Olatubosun, the state Commissioner for Information.
He said that the harassment and intimidation of the Accountant -General and other officials of the state government by EFCC was totally unconstitutional and unacceptable.
The statement read in full: “The Oyo State Government is using this medium to update the good people of Oyo State regarding the arrest, questioning and detention of the Oyo State Accountant General on Friday, February 25, 2022, and subsequent release on Monday, February 28, 2022.
“The continued harassment and intimidation of the Accountant-General and other officials of the state government by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is totally unconstitutional and unacceptable and is being contested in a court of competent jurisdiction.
“The EFCC and its officials have, since last year been mounting pressure on Oyo State and its officials to provide documents regarding disbursements and expenditure of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, Contingencies Fund and Security Vote lawfully approved and passed into Appropriation Law of Oyo State by the Oyo State House of Assembly.
“This is despite the fact that the Supreme Court of Nigeria has decided in a long line of cases that the EFCC lacks the powers to prosecute issues that are not corruption cases.
“We would like to put it on record that by virtue of Section 128 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, unless and until the Oyo State House of Assembly reports or exposes any corruption, inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws within its legislative competence and in the disbursement or administration of funds appropriated by it to the Executive Governor of Oyo State and Commissioner for Finance, Section 6 (h) of the EFCC Establishment Act 2004 (as amended) cannot be triggered.
“The Oyo State House of Assembly has not made any such reports and thus the actions so far by the EFCC and the EFCC Chairman are unconstitutional and ultra-vires.
“In line with this conviction, the Oyo State Government had approached the Federal High Court, in the Ibadan Judicial Division on February 8, 2022, for declaratory reliefs and to among other things, issue an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants (1. Attorney General of the Federation; 2. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; 3. President of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria and 4. The Chairman EFCC) their functionaries or agencies or whosoever from interfering with the activities of any government officials in Oyo State (i.e. any public officer or functionary or officer or servant of the government of Oyo State) in the exercise of powers purported to be conferred by or under the provisions of the EFCC Act, 2004 with relation to the expenditure and or spending of the Oyo State Government or security votes as vested in the Governor of Oyo State.
“The EFCC had brazenly refused service of the processes at the Abuja Head Office for reasons unknown to the law but as of today, March 1, 2022, at the hearing in Ibadan, Hon Justice N. Agomoh directed the EFCC to accept service of the Oyo State Government originating processes and pending applications in the full glare of the Court.
“The Trial Judge also ordered that all forms of arrest and intimidation by the EFCC should cease.
“The case has been adjourned to the March 9, 2022 for the hearing of all applications.
“The arrest of the Oyo State Accountant General on Friday, February 25, 2022, was a desperate and malicious attempt at thwarting a constitutional process that had already been instituted at the Federal High Court, Ibadan, with a hearing date of Monday, March 1, 2022.
“The Government of Oyo State refuses to be intimidated, cowed or distracted from its one goal of providing good governance.
“His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Oyo State, remains committed to fidelity, accountability, integrity, transparency and honesty which has been the hallmark of this administration since its inception on May 29, 2019 and urges the good people of Oyo State to remain undeterred as this is just another in the series of hurdles that they and indeed all right-thinking Nigerians as a whole must cross in their determination to rescue Nigeria.”
