BREAKING: Ayodele Fayose Regains Freedom, Prisoners Weep

Fayose was alleged to have received a cash payment of the sum of five million dollars, (about N18 billion) from the then Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, without going through any financial institutionand which sum exceeded the amount allowed by law.

 

It was an emotional situation today in Ikoyi Prison as scores of detainees broke down in tears as information filtered in that immediate former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose has met his bail conditions.

The emotional breakdown, The DailyBellsNG leant, might not be unconnected with the fact that, while in the EFCC detention,, the former Governor had last week fed the detainees numbering about 150 as he also secured lawyers for some of the them that are in genuine need of legal representation.

On Fayose’s official Twitter page, Lere Olayinka, the media aide to the former governor had revealed;

“Fayose took his Stomach Infrastructure to the EFCC office in Lagos today as he provided food for over 150 people (detainees and visitors).

“The highly elated detainees jointly sang the National Anthem after their stomachs were adequately serviced.

“Also, he has secured lawyers for some of the detainees that are in genuine need of legal representation and promised to assist those having challenges in meeting.

It would be recalled that a Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Mojisola Olatiregun had on Wednesday granted Fayose N50 million bail and ordered him to deposit his passport with the court as part of his bail conditions.

The former governor was also asked to provide a surety who must have landed property in Lagos. The surety is also required to have three-year tax clearance in Lagos.

He was arraigned on an 11-count charge bordering on abuse of office. The EFCC had alleged that Fayose received illegal funds for his 2014 governorship campaign, among other allegations of benefitting from proceeds of money laundering.

The court’s ruling on Fayose’s bail application lasted less than 30 minutes.

The Charge

According to the charge, on June 17, 2014, Fayose and Agbele were said to have taken possession of the sum of N1.2 billion for purposes of funding his gubernatorial election in Ekiti State which sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

Fayose was alleged to have received a cash payment of the sum of five million dollars, (about N18 billion) from the then Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, without going through any financial institutionand which sum exceeded the amount allowed by law.

He was also alleged to have retained the sum of N300 million in his Zenith Bank account and took control of the aggregate sums of about N622 million which sum he ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

Fayose was alleged to have procured De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd, to retain in their Zenith Bank and the FCMB accounts, the aggregate sums of N851 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

Besides, the accused was alleged to have used the aggregate sums of about N1.6 billion to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja, which sums he reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

The accused was also alleged to have used the sum of N200 million to acquire a property in Abuja in the name of his elder sister, Moji Oladeji, which sum he ought to know also forms crime proceeds.

The offences, according to the EFCC, contravene the provisions of sections 15(1), 15 (2), 15 (3), 16(2)(b), 16 (d), and 18 (c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.