In our review of high profile corruption trials today, two former governors, Peter Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and Lucky Igbinedion of Edo State were profiled for squandering public funds.
While former Governor Fayose was accused of N1.3 billion money laundering, former Governor Igbinedion was indicted in N25 billion fraud.
Read on:
Peter Ayodele Fayose – N1.3 billion money laundering
Peter Ayodele Fayose is the immediate past Governor of Ekiti State. Fayose has an impending trial for murder, money laundering and corruption.
On April 21, 2014, Mr. Olayinka had, in a strongly worded petition to the Inspector-General of Police, pleaded passionately for the arrest of Mr. Fayose over his role in the cold murder of Tunde Omojola, Ayo Daramola, Taiwo Fasuba and others by an alleged notorious killer squad set up and funded by Mr. Fayose.
The renowned human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), recalled that Mr. Fayose was facing multiple charges of murder and corruption at the Ekiti State High Court and Federal High Court before his controversial re-election as a governor in June 2014.
The N2.2 billion fraud trial of the past Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, immediately commenced after his tenure as governor of the state in 2018, with his former ally Musiliu Obanikoro testifying against him.
While being cross-examined by the second defence counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN), former Minister of State for Defence, Obanikoro, told the court that he was testifying against Fayose reluctantly.
He noted that they enjoyed a good relationship while they were both members of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Obanikoro has since defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress, while Fayose remains a member of the PDP.
Obanikoro said despite testifying against Fayose, he wouldn’t want their relationship to be destroyed.
At a point in the course of being grilled by the defence counsel, Obanikoro said: “I’m trying to restrain myself from saying things that will further damage our relationship.”
But pushing him further, Ojo asked, “So, will it be correct to say that you are giving evidence in this case reluctantly?”
Obanikoro said: “It’s painful for me to give evidence against him (Fayose); no doubt about it. It is indeed very painful.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Fayose for allegedly taking N2.2 billion from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for his governorship election in 2014.
The EFCC said Fayose received the money from then NSA, Sambo Dasuki through Obanikoro.
At the previous hearing, Obanikoro admitted receiving N2.2 billion from Dasuki for onward delivery to Fayose in Ado Ekiti, adding that on Fayose’s instructions, a part of the money was changed to US dollar before delivery.
Under cross-examination by the second defence counsel, Obanikoro affirmed that he took the money to Fayose in Ado Ekiti as a leader who was carrying out a mission for his party.
The former Minister of State for Defence told the Federal High Court, Lagos, that he gave the money to the former governor three days to the 2014 Ekiti governorship election in his hotel room in Ado-Ekiti.
Obanikoro, fifth prosecution witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), testified before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.
The court had granted him bail in the sum of N50 million with one surety in like sum when the trial commenced fully on November 19, 2018.
Trial is ongoing.
Lucky Igbinedion – N25 billion fraud
The former Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion was in 2008 sentenced to six months in prison (but with an option of fine of N3.5m which he paid) by a Federal High Court in Enugu.
That was after he pleaded guilty to a count charge following an initial 191-count charge of fraud, theft, embezzlement and money laundering running into 25 billion naira.
Igbinedion was again convicted in 2011 over N25 billion fraud and was charged with 58 criminal counts.
However, the Federal High Court sitting in Benin discharged him of money laundering and corruption in June, 2011, after a plea bargain he entered with EFCC.
The Federal High Court had ruled in 2011 that it would amount to double jeopardy and abuse of court process to try him again after the plea bargain he entered with the EFCC.
But it’s not yet over for Mr. Igbinedion as the Court of Appeal in Benin ruled on April 9, 2014, that he had a case to answer over a fresh 66-count money laundering and financial impropriety suit brought against him by the EFCC.
He was on April 30, 2015 fined N3.5 million fine after the initial controversial plea bargain agreement he reached with the EFCC which required that he returns N500 million and three of the houses he acquired with stolen public funds to the Federal Government.
Case assumed closed because no record of any update on this case.
Read also:
High profile corruption trial: How 2 ex-govs & Buhari’s allies escaped the hammer
[This Publication includes part of a compendium by Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) covering corruption cases as at 22nd of November, 2019.