Alleged N1.3bn fraud: EFCC grills Oyo lawmakers

No fewer than six officials of the Oyo State House of Assembly have been grilled by the Ibadan Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over a case of conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of public funds, and abuse of office to the tune of over N1.3 billion.

According to information gathered, the lawmakers were interrogated on Monday and Tuesday on how the assembly purchased refurbished Toyota Camry cars (2019 model), for the state assembly members at N1.03 bn instead of new vehicles.

Those grilled include the Director of Administration, Kolawole Kayode; Director of Finance, Ogundipe Olanike; Paymaster, Adeoye Adebowale; Officer-in-Charge of other charges, Gbadebo Tosin; the former clerk, Felicia Oyediran and one Adenike Muraina-Akinola.

“The suspects were questioned and allowed to go home on Monday July 5 with the exception of Adeoye Olusegun Adebowale who was detained. All the suspects returned to the EFCC Zonal Office again on Tuesday for further interrogation”, a source said.

The development followed a petition alleging fraud in the handling of the Oyo Assembly finances written by a former prosecutor with the Special Presidential Panel on Recovery of Public Property, Tosin Ojaomo.