by James Ojo, SunNews
The gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last Osun state election, Senator Iyiola Omisore was on Sunday morning picked up by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Omisore, who missed Sunday church service was still held in one of the EFCC interrogation centers in Abuja as at the time of filling this report.
For over a month, Omisore and the EFCC have been trading accusations and counter- accusations over invitation to account for over N1.3billion traced to him from the office of the National Security Adviser under Col Sambo Dasuki retired.
Omisore was declared wanted by EFCC after investigation of the fund used for the Ekiti state governorship poll exposed his involvement in the movement of money from the ONSA through him and former minister of state for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.
According to records of the investigators, the sum of N1.3 billion was traced to companies where Omoisore had huge investments.
By declaring him wanted, Omisore went public lambasting the anti graft agency saying that EFCC had become the willing tools the Buhari government was using to muzzle opposition.
In a statement he authored, Omisore noted that the purported report declaring him wanted was an attempt by the EFCC and its leadership to tarnish his image.
“That statement, if indeed it was issued by the EFCC, is the height of mischief and a deliberate attempt to assassinate my character. It is now very clear that the EFCC is indeed playing out the script of persecuting and harassing perceived opposition groups in the country.
“To be sure, there is no basis for the EFCC so-called statement. Only on Tuesday, May 24, we appeared in court with the EFCC asking for the permission of the court for an extension of time in the preliminary objection to a suit filed against me,” he stated.
Defending himself in the statement, the former deputy governor of Osun state declared that the Managing Director of Firmex Gill which the EFCC joined in their case indemnified him from the company’s contracts and any such obligations.
“In other words, there is nothing relating to me in the company’s contract deal with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). The company has even sued the ONSA for its inability to pay the balance of the contract so awarded to it.
“Therefore, I am not aware of any issue relating to a contract sum of N700 million. There was no issue of N700 million anywhere. The relationship between the company and ONSA is civil and contractual, which has nothing to do with me.
“Besides, so long as their business transactions are legitimate and since I am not directly managing the company, how am I to know who and who they do business with?
He not only fumed at EFCC, he warned the commission not to be seen as playing the role of political victimisation of innocent individuals, coercion and blackmail.
“Sadly, that is simply what this organisation has been doing. Blackmail, I strongly believe, won’t help EFCC. If the organisation and its leadership think they have any case against me, they should come to court with their facts.
“This act of blackmail and deliberate tarnishing the image of perceived political enemies won’t help the image of the EFCC and it won’t get it result.
“If they have facts, I challenge them to bring them to court and not resort to blackmail, intimidation and victimisation,” he said.
EFCC had traced the N1.3 billion as part of the N4.7 billion emanated from the ONSA which was transferred to the Diamond bank account of Sylvan McNamara, a company in which the sons of the former minister were the signatories..
It was discovered that Senator Omisore allegedly received the money in four tranches between July and August 2014.
Documents in the custody of EFFC showed that three companies belonging to Omisore were said to have received the fund on July 9, August 1, and August 8, in branches of First bank and UBA bank.
Omisore had denied knowing Dasuki, the embattled former NSA who is facing charges of corruption.
He had sued EFCC asking to agency to desist from making defamatory comments about his personality and prayed the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the agency.
Calls and text messages to the mobile telephone lines of EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren to confirmed the arrest was not returned, but sources close to the former deputy governor said that if was true EFCC operatives wicked him away yesterday morning.
