KEHINDE ADEWOLE
Lere Olayinka spokesman for Ayo Fayose, former Governor of Ekiti State, has spent more than 24 hours in the detention of the Ekiti State police command over alleged financial impropriety levelled against him by the state government.
Olayinka was on Monday detained by the police after he had honoured their invitation to answer allegation levelled against him.
Our correspondent learnt that he had written his statement and denied the allegations and was to be granted administrative bail today with two sureties as part of the requirements.
But in what later appeared like some kind of order from above or a change of mind by the police, he was told that he would remain in police custody till Wednesday, March 5, to be arraigned in court over some allegations.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) New media spokesman in Ekiti, Bola Agboola, had on Monday, March 3, alleged that the police were detaining Olayinka on the orders of Governor Kayode Fayemi but the state’s Commissioner of Police, Amba Asuquo denied the allegations via a telephone chat on Tuesday. The police boss had also promised to ensure that he was done with the case today and either grant Olayinka bail or charge him to court.
On March 5, Olayinka would have spent 48 hours in police detention over the allegations.
Commenting on the new development, Agboola in a statement made available to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday, alleged that “Fayemi’s plot to get Lere Olayinka remanded in prison custody has been exposed.
“Finally, Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi has succeeded in pressurising the police to charge Lere Olayinka to court tomorrow.
“The police had earlier agreed to admit Lere Olayinka to administrative bail, with a first-class traditional ruler as surety and the Owa Ooye of Okemesi Ekiti, Oba Gbadebo Adedeji had to come to Ado Ekiti from Okemesi Ekiti to stand as surety.
“However, the story changed at about 4 pm today, ostensibly because of intense pressure from above.
“Information available is that Lere Olayinka is to be charged with stringent offenses and the magistrate will give stringent bail conditions to keep him in prison custody indefinitely.
“Lere Olayinka had honoured the police invitation yesterday over allegation of financial impropriety made against him by the state government. He was detained since yesterday.”