Former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of attempted character assassination for declaring him wanted.
The ant-graft agency had in a message posted on its official Facebook page on Tuesday declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain wanted “in connection with a case of receiving and misappropriating the sum of over N700, 000,000.00 from the Office of the National Security Adviser, between June and November, 2014.”
According to the commission, “Omisore has been elusive and refused to report to the Commission after invitation was extended to him on April 7, 2016 requesting him to come and make clarification on the ongoing investigation.”
It said that instead of responding to the invitation, Omisore had approached the Federal Capital Territory High Court for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights.
It added, “Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf consequently ordered that Omisore should only be arrested through a due and legal process. The EFCC thereafter obtained a warrant to effect the arrest of the politician.”
Reacting, Omisore, who lost the 2014 Osun governorship election to incumbent Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said “the 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.”
He argued that there was no basis for the EFCC statement as he was in court on Tuesday with the EFCC asking for the permission of the court for an extension of time in the preliminary objection to a suit filed against him.
The 58-year-old Ife-born politician said the managing director of Firmex Gill which the EFCC joined in the case against him 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),” he said, pointing out that 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?
“The EFCC should not be seen 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.
“How can you declare someone you were in court with at 9.00a.m today wanted the same day, a few hours afterwards? I am appealing to all human rights and civil society organisations to caution EFCC from damaging my reputation further. If they have facts, I challenge them to bring them to court and not resort to blackmail, intimidation and victimisation,” he concluded.
