N13bn cash discovery: Fayose faults NIA’s claim of ownership, says FG, EFCC covering up owners

Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has alleged that the Federal Government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are conspiring to sweep the matter of N13 billion cash recovered at Osborne Towers in Lagos under the carpet.

Fayose alleged in a statement, on Saturday, that the federal government was plotting “to protect the original owner of both the money and the apartment where it was found,” saying that this “has further shown that the anti-corruption fight is political, selective and therefore a ruse.”

In the statement he personaly signed and made available to newsmen, Governor Fayose said Nigerians should ask questions, noting that the claim that the money belonged to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) was also a plot to protect the owners of the the cash and the apartment.

He said questions as “who is the owner of the apartment in which the money was found? Does the apartment also belong to the NIA? If the apartment belongs to the NIA, when was it bought and from whom?” should be asked.

The governor added: “If the apartment does not belong to the NIA, from whom and when was it rented? How could a whistle-blower be aware of movement of money into one out of many apartments in a building without knowing the owner of the apartment?”

He said “if truly the NIA was carrying out a “covert operation” as claimed, was President Muhammadu Buhari not briefed of the so-called “covert operation” when he took over power?”

Fayose said: “This, to my mind is one cover-up too many and this federal government seeming plot to protect the original owner of both the money and the apartment where it was found has further shown that the anti-corruption fight is political, selective and therefore a ruse.

“Nigerians should recall that I have consistently maintained that the APC-led federal government was not fighting any corruption. Rather, the government is using the anti-corruption fight as a major political tool to cripple opposition and turn the country to a one party state.

“Therefore, for once, the federal government should operate with the mind-set that Nigerians are no fools. They are capable of asking questions and they are already doing that.”

He described the cash recovery as “a script,” saying “as for me, the script being acted on this discovered cash is a cover-up that will mar the EFCC and the federal government. It is a movie well scripted for some comedians but acted so badly.

“It is case of a dog that has been eating other people’s children to the admiration of its owner suddenly attacking the beloved son of the owner’s friend and they are now trying to cover-up the dog owner.

“It is a major test of the integrity of the APC federal government’s so-called anti-corruption fight, and the earlier the proponents of the cover-up plot come back to their normal senses and tell Nigerians who owns the apartment in which the money was found, the better for them.”