Why the EFCC arrested Ogun Speaker

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed an indictment of 11 counts of forgery, conspiracy, and theft of the state treasury, among other things, against the Speaker of the State Assembly of 'Ogun, Olakunle Oluomo, and three others.

In a court document obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the anti-corruption agency said the speaker and Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke - the trio are still at large - laundered more than $2 billion naira of public funds between them. The EFCC said the law is contrary to the provisions of sections 18(a), 15(2)(d) of the Prohibition of Money Laundering Act 2011, as amended and punishable under the article 15 (3) of the same law.

The anti-corruption agency also questioned and charged the speaker for another missing public fund of N900,000,000 which was allegedly misappropriated by the defendants.

The head of the EFFC Legal Oversight Unit in Lagos, Rotimi Oyedepo, has filed charges against the speaker and the three other defendants in the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State .

Multiple sources both at the assembly and at the EFCC told this newspaper that the speaker had declined several invitations extended to him by the EFCC.

Last Thursday, agents of the anti-corruption agency arrested Mr. Oluomo at around 9:00 a.m. at Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.

It will be recalled that the unrest began in the assembly after PREMIUM TIMES revealed how the Speaker and some other key assembly officials allegedly embezzled millions of naira belonging to the House and also falsified receipts to conceal fraud.

According to court documents, the EFCC lined up 10 witnesses against the speaker.

Below are the 10 counts against the speaker:

That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) at times in 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court have conspired among you to USE the total sum of N2,475,000,000,000.00 ( Two billion, four hundred and seventy-five million naira) that you reasonably should have known to be part of the proceeds of your illegal activity, namely: stealing the treasury of the Ogun State Assembly and you have so committed an offense contrary to sections 18(a), 15(2)(d) of the Prohibition of Money Laundering Act 2011, as amended and punishable under section 15(3) of the same law.

That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between June 2019 and June 2020 at Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court used the total sum of 900,000,000.00 N (Nine Hundred Million Naira) which you reasonably should have known to be part of the proceeds of your illegal activities, namely: stealing the treasury of the Ogun State Legislative Assembly and you have thereby committed an offense contrary to section 15(2)(d) of the Prohibition of Money Laundering Act 2011, as amended and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act. COUNT 3

That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between July 2020 and July 2021 at Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court used the total sum of 900,000,000.00 N (Nine Hundred Million Naira) which you reasonably should have known to be part of the proceeds of your illegal activities, namely: stealing the treasury of the Ogun State Legislative Assembly and you have thereby committed an offense contrary to section 15(2)(d) of the Prohibition of Money Laundering Act 2011, as amended and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act. COUNT 4

That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between August 2021 and December 2021 at Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court used the total sum of N375,000,000.00 (Three hundred and seventy-five million naira) which you should reasonably have known to be part of the...