EFCC denies freezing Sen Adeleke, Davido’s accounts, writes Customs to put Fayose on watchlist

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has refuted news making the rounds that it has frozen the bank accounts of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke and that of his nephew, David Adeleke, a popular musician known as Davido.

Debunking the story on Sunday, the EFCC spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, described the allegations as false.

The commission also called on members of the public to disregard the allegations, saying that the claim ” is patently false and contrived to dress the agency with a partisan garb in the unfolding political contest in Osun State.

Uwujaren said, “For the avoidance of doubt, at no time did the EFCC place a freeze order on any account belonging to members of the Adeleke family.

“The purported freeze order which has unfortunately been amplified by pliable sections of the media without any attempt at confirmation, is alien to the commission and another example of fake news.

“The EFCC frowns at the seeming attempts by faceless forces to drag it into the political fray.”

The commission reiterated its neutrality as a law enforcement organisation sworn to uphold the rule of law at all times, “irrespective whose interest is at stake.”

Meanwhile, the EFCC has placed outgoing Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose on a watchlist to prevent him from fleeing the country after the expiration of his tenure in October.

The Commission stated this in a letter to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), dated September 13, 2018.

The letter entitled, “Request for Watch Listing of Persons, Case of Conspiracy, Abuse of Office, Official Corruption, Theft and Money Laundering”, was signed by the Commission’s acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu and addressed to the Comptroller General of Customs.

The letter reads in part: “The under-listed suspect is under investigation for above-listed offences and there is reasonable suspicion suggesting that he may likely leave the country either through the land borders, Airports or Seaports in order to evade investigations. Hence, you are kindly requested to watch list and arrest him.”

But Governor Fayose in a swift reaction to EFCC on Sunday via his twitter handle, reassured the Commission of his readiness to surrender himself for interrogation on October 16, as contained in his letter to the EFCC last week.

Fayose tweeted thus: “@officialEFCC, when a woman is being brought to you as a wife, you don’t have to peep through the window to see her. As I said in my letter, Insha Allah, I will be in your office on October 16, a day after the handing-over.”