•‘It’s a ploy to tarnish my image’

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has declared former deputy governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, wanted for allegedly receiving and misappropriating over N700, 000,000 from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) between June and November, 2014.
The anti-crime agency said Omisore has been elusive and refused to report to the commission after invitation was extended to him on April 7, 2016 requesting him “to come and make clarification on the ongoing investigation.”
It claimed that instead of responding to the Commission’s investigation, Omisore approached the Federal Capital Territory High Court for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights.
Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf consequently ordered that Omisore should only be arrested through a due and legal process. The EFCC thereafter obtained a warrant to effect his arrest.
However, Omisore said the statement by the EFCC was the height of mischief and a deliberate attempt to assassinate his character.
“It is now very clear that the EFCC is indeed playing out the script of persecuting and harassing perceived opposition groups in the country. To be sure, there is no basis for the EFCC so-called statement. Only on Tuesday, May 24, we appeared in court with the EFCC asking for the permission of the court for an extension of time in the preliminary objection to a suit filed against me,” he said in a statement.
He said the Managing Director of Firmex Gill which the EFCC joined in their case indemnified him from the company’s contracts and any such obligations.
“Therefore, I am not aware of any issue relating to  a contract sum of N700 million. There was no issue of N700 million anywhere. The relationship between the company and ONSA is civil and contractual, which has nothing to do with me”, he stated.

…Edo PDP chairman invited
Also, the EFCC invited the Edo State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih over a N700 million presidential funds that came to the state.
An aide to Orbih who confirmed his invitation said the state party chief left Benin for Port Harcourt on Sunday to honour the invitation.
Earlier, the Commission had invited the coordinator of the campaign organization of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and former deputy governor, Mr. Lucky Imasuen to Port Harcourt to explain their roles in the N700 million campaign fund.
Meanwhile, the PDP chairman in Gombe State, Nuhu Poloma, former Secretary to the Bauchi State government, Ahmed Ibrahim Dandija, and the zonal coordinator of the PDP in Gombe, Taraba and Adamawa states, Bunu Mulima, have reportedly returned N2 million, N10 million and N5 million respectively to the EFCC. The monies are from the reported Diezani Alison-Madueke’s 2015 election largesse.
An operative of the anti-graft agency revealed that the politicians deposited the money in bank drafts drawn in the name of the Commission.