T he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Office, reportedly invited several officials from the Ogun State government for questioning as part of an ongoing investigation. Dele Oyewale, the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, confirmed this development during a phone conversation on Wednesday.
Oyewale stated, “I just called our Ibadan zonal office, and it was confirmed that some officials of the state government were invited for a chat in respect of an ongoing investigation and they have since gone back to their state. Nobody was also detained.”
When pressed to confirm that the invitees were Ogun State officials, Oyewale replied, “I can only tell you that they are officials of the Ogun State government and it was in connection with an ongoing investigation. It’s not more than that.”
Governor Dapo Abiodun’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Kayode Akinmade, responded by saying, “I am currently out of town, so I am not aware of what you are talking about, but in any case, anyone can write a petition, but that doesn’t mean that what you have written is the truth. The EFCC can also invite anyone, but that doesn’t mean such a person has been indicted.”
A reputable source revealed that five government officials were interrogated in connection with a petition filed by Wale Adedayo, the former Chairman of the Ijebu East Local Government Area. Adedayo accused Governor Abiodun of diverting approximately N10.8 billion meant for the 20 local governments in the state last August.
A top government official, who spoke anonymously for fear of reprisal, confirmed the EFCC invitation but did not know which specific officials were questioned. The official said, “It is true that some officials of the state government were invited by the EFCC on Tuesday. I learnt it was about the finance of the state government, but I don’t know which of them.”
Adedayo's accusations, initially meant to be private, were directed to former governor Chief Olusegun Osoba but leaked to the media, sparking public discourse. Adedayo also submitted a petition to the EFCC calling for an investigation into the alleged financial misconduct.
The Ogun State government denied the allegations, claiming that it had augmented the monthly Federal Government allocations to local governments to help them meet their financial obligations, such as salary payments.
Following his accusations, Adedayo was impeached and is currently facing trial before an Abeokuta Magistrate Court for making false allegations and defaming Governor Abiodun.
In an interview on Wednesday, Adedayo confirmed hearing about the EFCC’s invitation to state officials. He stated, “Yes, I heard about it on Tuesday. I am sure it is about the petition I sent to the EFCC. A lie can travel a thousand miles, the truth will catch up with it within a few seconds. A friend told me they were granted administrative bail so they could return with some documents, which they claimed would exonerate them.”
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