“I can’t refund what I never stole”- Ize Iyamu

The All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has refuted claims linking him with an alleged N700 million fraud.

Ize-Iyamu was speaking in an interview on Arise TV on Sunday where he said he cannot refund any funds to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as he did not steal the money in the first place.

“The EFCC case against me for N700m, I have made it very clear that the so-called money was never paid into my account. It was never given to me. All I did was that they wanted somebody to verify that the money for campaign came. And I, along with two others, went to the bank and confirmed it.

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“From the bank, the money was taken not to my house, but to the house of the leader of the party. And when they got there, the money was distributed to the 18 local government chairmen of the party and they all signed for it. Not one kobo was given to me. These are facts available to the court; these are facts available to the EFCC.

“The EFCC’s own is that we ought to refund the money and I said how can I refund what I did not collect? If I took the money, I may say yes, I will refund it; but I didn’t take it, not a kobo did I take. So, my conscience is clear and my credibility is intact.”

The N700m fraud allegation currently lingering over the clergyman’s head has remained one of the focal points the opposition party has used to discredit the credentials of Governor Obaseki’s challenger.

Mr Ize Iyamu has now unabashedly come out to rebuff all claims linking him to the alleged corruption scandal.