Fisayo Soyombo

LAGOS, September 05, (THEWILL) – Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who was questioned on Friday in Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of misappropriating N7billion, was been released Saturday. But he will have to occasionally report at the Commission, after his travel documents were withheld.

On his return to Lagos, Speaker Ikuforiji denied evading the EFCC, saying he wilfully turned himself in to the Commission due to the lesser hajj. “I could not honour [the invitation earlier] because of the lesser hajj, which I went for, and immediately, I arrived, I decided to,” he said. “I must be honest with you; there is nothing in the allegations. It’s just one of the unfortunate ordeals public office holders are subjected to by mischief makers with hidden agenda.”

He denied any wrongdoing, wondering how any public office holder could appropriate N7 billion in a state with budget of N6 billion. “Of course, it’s obvious there are some characters bent on causing distraction in the State,” he lamented.

Kick Against Corruption, a civil rights group, had, in May, allegedly petitioned the anti-corruption body, asking it to prosecute the Speaker for mismanagement of N7b, being running costs for the Lagos State House of Assembly. He was also accused of denying his record of conviction, whereas he was committed twice in the United States, in 2001 and in 2005.

An EFCC source said, after his release, that “preliminary investigations” had been concluded and “useful statements” obtained. “We may likely invite a few officials connected with remittance of funds to the office of the speaker in Lagos State,” he added.

Meanwhile, virtually all those who are believed to have masterminded Ikuforiji’s travails with EFCC have refuted the insinuation. Luiz Banire, the immediate past commissioner for environment, reasoned that his recent open confrontation with the Speaker was the reason he was fingered. But he said both of them had since moved on. “I can seriously assure you that there is nothing like that; it’s not true.”

Similarly, a source at the government house absolved Governor Babatunde Fashola of involvement in the speaker’s predicament.

Source: The Will