Fayose storms bank, withdraws N5m from ‘frozen’ account

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State stormed the Ado Ekiti branch of Zenith Bank Plc to operate his accounts that were frozen by the bank, in June.

He said, after withdrawing N5 million in cash from the accounts, on Thursday, that he went to the bank with a copy of the court judgement to operate the account and to ensure that it complied with the judgement.

Federal high court sitting in Ado Ekiti, presided by Justice Taiwo Taiwo, on Tuesday in a judgement, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the bank, to unfreeze the accounts and make it operational.

The judgement had followed a suit brought against the EFCC and Zenith Bank by Governor Fayose, in June 2016, when the account was frozen.

Fayose had gone to the bank at about 1:30pm on Thursday allegedly to make withdrawals from the accounts.

His visit to the branch of the bank has created a build up of customers at its gate and premises as its security officers prevented customers from going in.

Governor Fayose spent two hours at the bank while waiting to make the withdrawal, and told newsmen afterwards that he was ready to spend the whole day there “until they give me my money.”

Fayose had made straight for the office of the branch manager, Mr. Mojeed Adekunle and presented a withdrawal cheque of his money in cash.

He reminded the bank manager that he had come following  a court order, served on the bank on Wednesday, December 14, to unfreeze his accounts.

Handing out the cheque, the governor said he was ready to wait till anytime his money would be given him in cash.

“I am ready to wait in your office till you close for the day as I want my money in cash,” he said firmly.

Adekunle also produced a copy of the said court order and confirmed to the governor that his office had already received a copy as reported and would act on the directive from the governor immediately.

After two hours, the governor left the bank with his N5 million cash.

“I came to the bank after serving them with the court order and I made up my mind that I won’t leave the bank until my money is given to me. And the bank has done the needful by giving me part of the money, therefore confirming that they have obeyed the court order.

“I want to thank Nigerians and my supporters for believing in our cause that Nigerians should not be oppressed. The rascality of EFCC must stop. And I want to thank the EFCC for obeying the court order.

“They placed order on two accounts. One has N82 million, the other has N300 million. I have collected N5 million now. I’m not closing the accounts but if they attack my accounts again, I will make trouble with them, big trouble.

On the report that the EFCC was appealing the judgement,  he said “if EFCC is appealing the court judgement, that is their funeral. As a sitting governor my immunity is absolute just like that of the President. They should tell EFCC to shut up. There is no authority other than the authority of the constitution of this country which I enjoy.

“Rubbishing the office of the governor is the same as rubbishing that of the President because after the President, Governors are the next. It is their time now, other people’s time will come tomorrow. There is no place for dictatorship in Nigeria.”

Fayose had challenged the freezing of the accounts in a suit filed on his behalf by Chief Mike Ozekhome, on June 28.