N4.745b ‘fraud’: Drama as EFCC holds Omisore

(The Nation)

Only my body will follow you, ex-Deputy Governor tells EFCC team.
After about three months of hide and seek, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested a former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Otunba Iyiola Omisore.
He was arrested in Abuja for the N4.745billion allegedly allocated to him and others by the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA).
Of the slush funds, about N1.310billion was allegedly traced to Omisore and three companies.
His suspected accomplices include Governor Ayodele Fayose and former Minister of (State) Defence Musiliu Obanikoro, who is in the United States.
The arrest of Omisore was with a tinge of drama. He reportedly locked himself up in the master’s bedroom to evade arrest by EFCC operatives, sources said.
EFCC operatives climbed a balcony to enter the room where a “jittery” Omisore was arrested. Found in his room, said the source, are $21,000 and about N1million cash.
Sensitive documents relating to transfer of funds to slush companies by ONSA, the National Assembly and some companies were also recovered from Omisore, The Nation learnt.
Omisore reportedly told the EFCC team: “I will not follow you; only my corpse will follow you.”
He reportedly surrendered when the siege to his house was daunting.
According to a top source in EFCC, the arrest of Omisore followed a successful trail of his movement to Abuja.
The source said: “We had intelligence report that Omisore was at his 1, Kainji Crescent in Maitama, Abuja. We set out at 6am to invite him but when we got there; we were told he was not in town.
“We went into the compound and gained access to the house. We started searching the rooms one by one. At a point, we discovered that the master’s bedroom was locked. We asked them to open it but they said, they had no key to it. Having been aware of our presence, Omisore had firmly locked up himself to evade arrest.
“We surrounded the place with armed policemen and entered the master bedroom through the balcony. When we met him, we showed him a court warrant of arrest and a search warrant fully endorsed by a competent court.
“We searched his room afterwards and we discovered documents linking him to those companies used for laundering of money from ONSA , National Assembly and some firms which they forced to part with cash to fund political campaign.
“Some of the documents on landed properties which he bought with these slush funds.
“When we finished the search, we showed him the warrant of arrest but he retired into a mild drama that he would not go to the EFCC office.
“Omisore, who knew the game was up said: ‘I will not follow you, only my corpse will follow you.’ The suspense continued until his lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, asked him to go to EFCC headquarters.
“After then, we took him to the office and obtained a statement from him. During interrogation, he admitted that he is a director of some of the companies linked to him . ONSA, National Assembly and some firms that paid huge funds into the accounts of these companies .”
According to the source, Omisore told detectives that the companies paid the funds under investigation to him but they were the money he loaned them.
“We have served him bail conditions, it is left to him to meet these terms to regain freedom. So far, we have detained him,” the source said.
About N1.310billion was traced to Omisore and three companies out of the N4,745billion.
According to a report by the EFCC, the funds were remitted as follows: Fimex Gilt Limited(N160m)-8/8/2014in UBA; Metropolitan Consortium (N350m)—9/7/14 in First Bank; Sawanara (N300m)—1/8/14 in First Bank and Metropolitan Consortium(N350m)-1/8/14 in First Bank.
A top EFCC source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Preliminary findings have shown that N1.310billion out of the N4.745billion from ONSA was remitted to the three firms and the accounts of these three companies belong to Omisore. This is one of the reasons we have invited the former Deputy Governor but he is yet to show up.”
The anti-graft agency through a letter, of April 7, 2016 invited Omisore for interrogation.
The letter, signed by Abubakar Madaki on behalf of the Acting Chairman of EFCC, reads in part: “The commission is investigating an alleged case in which your name featured prominently.
“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to attend an interview the undersigned on Monday, 11th of April 2016 at No.30, Harper Crescent, Wuse Zone 7 at10am.
“Your cooperation in this regard is solicited.”
Instead of honouring the invitation, Omisore wrote a letter through one of his lawyers, Wole Jimi-Bada and Co. that the interview should be rescheduled to Thursday, April 14, 2016.
The counsel said in part: “Your letter dated 7th April 2016 and addressed to our client and delivered to his gateman at our client’s residence has been passed on to our chambers.
“We regret to inform you that our client travelled briefly out of Abuja but will return by Wednesday evening. Consequently and unfortunately, he will not be able to attend the interview scheduled for Monday, 11th April 2016 as requested in your letter under reference.

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Japanese Intervention in Nigerian Health Matters.

Bwari (FCT) – The Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Mr Sadanobu Kusaoke, on Thursday, inaugurated medical equipment worth $89, 662 donated by Government of Japan to help improve the health status of Nigerians.

The inauguration took place at the Bwari General Hospital.

He said the embassy had always supported Nigeria through its Grant Assistance for grassroots human security project scheme.

He said 152 projects had been implemented since 1998 under primary health, primary education and agriculture with 10. 4 million dollars disbursed so far.

“We are handing over 25 types of medical equipment and tools today to Bwari General Hospital.

“Large number of people come from Abuja, Kaduna and Niger to the hospital every day, but it could not provide patients with appropriate services because of lack of medical equipment.

“The shortage of equipment, in the worst cases, caused many babies and pregnant women to die despite the fact that their lives would have been saved with just one sort of equipment.

“Responding to the request from the hospital through Women’s Right to Education Programme, we have taken action to bridge the gap and now successfully completed the project.

“We strongly wish that the medical equipment provided by the government of Japan will contribute to the reduction in child and maternal mortality in Bwari, as well as neighbouring areas.”

He enjoined the hospital’s management to utilise the equipment properly to the benefit of many people.

The Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr Osayande Osagie, commended Japan for the gesture, saying it would help promote universal health coverage.
According to him, it is our conviction that this will go a long way in achieving the World Health Organisation’s set standards of Universal Health Coverage.

Osagie said, “the hospital had its humble beginning as Primary Health Care Clinic in the present day Bwari Post Office in 1968 in then North Western state.

“It was upgraded to a comprehensive Health Centre on Sept. 12, 1989 and to General Hospital 2002.

“Our mission is to offer world class health services to all our clients without discrimination. In achieving these objectives, your donation has helped in providing technological input to our targets.”

Ms Mimido Achakpa, Executive Director of Women’s Right to Education Programme (WREP), Nigeria, said the choice of Bwari was based on its health needs assessments.

She said before the project was carried out, WREP carried out needs assessment survey of Bwari in January.

“We found out that the General Hospital is the only one in the community which serves not only the Bwari but other neighbouring communities.
The needs assessment revealed that there was urgent need for new equipment and replacement of available ones in maternity theatre, wards and labour room that were found in deplorable state.”

The high point of the event was the commissioning of medical equipment, labour room, hospital beds and maternity theatre. (NAN)

(Vanguard)

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