EFCC quizzes Kwara lawmaker over N13.5m hajj fund

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has quizzed and released a lawmaker from Kwara State, Mr. Saheed Popoola.

It was gathered on Thursday that Popoola, who currently represents Balogun/Ojomu constituency of Offa Local Government in the state House of Assembly, was interrogated by EFCC over alleged N13.5m 2012 hajj fund.

It was learnt that the Lagos office of EFCC wrote to the Assembly informing it of an invitation to the lawmaker to appear before the anti-graft agency.

Popoola in a telephone interview said he honoured the invitation on Tuesday and after the interrogation, he was allowed to go home.

He added that he also reported on Wednesday and was allowed to go home after interrogation, adding that he would be in Kwara State either on Thursday or Friday.

He said, “EFCC wrote the Speaker, Kwara House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, inviting me to clear my name over the 2012 hajj issue when I was Chairman, Offa LG.

“The local government was unable to send some people to hajj. That was why they invited me. Somebody wrote a petition. I am not a travel agent.

“I have narrated my position and I was not detained. They did not rough-handle me. They just heard my position.”

The Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, in a telephone interview also confirmed EFCC’s invitation to Popoola.

He, however, said the lawmaker turned himself in, adding that it was a personal issue and had nothing in connection with the assembly.