Embattled Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has declared that the allegation that he stole over N7 billion of state funds against him is politically motivated.
The speaker told some journalists at his GRA lodge in Ikeja shortly after his return from the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja on Saturday evening.
Ikuforiji claimed that he was never arrested and detained by the anti-graft agency, and pointed out that he only honoured the invitation sent to him by the Commission while he was on his way to perform the lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia.
But the EFCC spokesman, Femi Baba Femi, said yesterday that the commission was investigating the matter and was not concerned about allegations on witch-hunting. Asked whether the speaker will be charged to court soon, he said that the matter was still under investigation.
He said, “EFCC will only charge him to court when investigation has been completed. The speaker said he is being witchhunted. Does he expect the commission that is statutorily set up to investigate financial crimes bank on that.
“If he has any issues on the political front, he should go and settle it. EFCC is only after prosecution based on investigation.”
But a source in the EFCC said the commission viewed the allegation against the speaker very seriously and would charge the matter to court in due course.
Ikuforiji explained: “I was invited, and their invitation came late. I got their invitation on my way to the airport for the lesser hajj (Umrah) last week and I sent a note addressed to the chairman of the Commission, that I received their letter late and because it was Ramadan period, I will honour their invitation on Thursday, September 4.
“When I came back last Thursday, I called them that morning and the officer I spoke with told me that I should come that afternoon, and we went.
“On getting to Abuja, there was a heavy traffic on the road because of this Boko Haram thing. The soldiers mounted road blocks and there was heavy traffic. So I had to call them again that I was in the traffic and the officer I spoke with said since it was getting late, it was better I came in on Friday morning.
“So I went there to honour the invitation of the EFCC; I was not at anytime arrested by the commission,” he said.
While clearing air on the allegation of the N7billion, he explained that “the House had a budget of about N6 billion.
“The Speaker of the House is just one among the 40; how he is able to steal N7 billion out of N6 billion is a question for the petitioners and the authorities to answer.
“As for me, I know there was no N7billion at anytime in the House, not over a period of one year though. We never had such a thing, so there was no way I could have stolen N7billion. I don’t even steal at all,” he said.
You don’t need to suspect this one; this is a very clear case.“If somebody comes and talks of stealing N7billion out of N6billion; if somebody in his right senses could come up with an allegation of Ikuforiji being an ex-convict in America and convicted of drunk driving; convicted of credit card fraud in 2005.
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