EFCC declares Omisore wanted over N700m Dasuki contract
Femi Makinde and Eniola Akinkuotu
A former Deputy Governor of Osun State,
Senator Iyiola Omisore, was on Tuesday declared wanted by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission over a N700m contract he (Omisore)
allegedly received from the embattled former National Security Adviser,
Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.)
But Omisore has described the EFCC’s
declaration as mischievous, adding that he was with the EFCC operatives
in court on Tuesday and wondered why they did not arrest him in court.
The EFCC said on its official Facebook
page that Omisore had been evading arrest for several months and it had
no choice but to declare him wanted.
The anti-graft agency said instead of
responding to an invitation, the former governorship candidate of the
Peoples Democratic Party in the 2014 Osun State governorship election,
decided to approach a court for the enforcement of his fundamental human
rights.
The commission, however, said it was able to obtain an arrest warrant against Omisore on Tuesday.
The statement read in part, “The EFCC on
May 24, 2016, declared a former deputy governor of Osun State, Senator
Iyiola Omisore, wanted. The former senator is wanted in connection with a
case of receiving and misappropriating the sum of over N700, 000,000
from the Office of the National Security Adviser, between June and
November, 2014.
“Omisore has been elusive and refused to
report to the commission after an invitation was extended to him on
April 7, 2016 requesting him “to come and make clarification on the
ongoing investigation.
“Instead of responding to the
commission’s investigation, Omisore had approached the Federal Capital
Territory High Court for the enforcement of his fundamental human
rights. Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf consequently ordered that Omisore
should only be arrested through a due and legal process. The EFCC
thereafter obtained a warrant to effect the arrest of the politician.”
However, Omisore accused the EFCC of character assassination and blackmail for declaring him wanted.
Omisore, who said this in a statement
signed by the Director of Publicity of the PDP in Osun State, Mr. Diran
Odeyemi, said he (Omisore) was in court on Tuesday and wondered why the
EFCC declared him wanted.
The ex-deputy governor explained that it
was a company, Fimex Gill, that was directly involved in the Dasuki
deal and the Managing Director of the company had stated that Omisore
had nothing to do with the contract.
The statement partly read, “The EFCC is
on a character assassination, mischievous and political persecution
mission. They were in court today (Tuesday) to ask for an extension of
time in the preliminary objection suit filed against Omisore.
“The MD of Fimex Gill indemnified
Omisore from their contract deal with the ONSA. The company had even
sued them for the payment of their balance. There was no issue of N700m
anywhere. The relationship between the company and ONSA is civil and
contractual.
“The EFCC should not play the role of
political victimisation and coercion. Omisore cannot be stampeded or be
oppressed by any government in Nigeria. Blackmail won’t help the EFCC,
rather they should come to court with facts. This act of the EFCC is
unpatriotic and won’t get them any result.
“How can the EFCC declare Omisore that
was in court with the EFCC officials at 9am wanted the same day? The
world and human rights community are hereby called upon to caution the
EFCC from tarnishing Omisore’s image.”
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