Ogun Speaker: My arrest, trial by EFCC illegal

Embattled Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, on Friday, tackled the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over his ongoing alleged N2.5billion fraud trial.

Oluomo was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday for allegedly diverting N2.5 billion belonging to the Assembly.

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Others arraigned alongside the Speaker were the Clerk of the House, Taiwo Adeyemo, and Oladayo Samuel, Director of Finance.

The trio were admitted to bail by the court.

Oluomo on Friday returned to the office in Abeokuta after perfecting his bail conditions.

In a statement personally signed and made available to journalists, Oluomo faulted his arrest and trial by the anti graft agency, saying it acted against “section 36 of the Constitution.”

He said he had already dragged the EFCC to court, but the agency failed to wait for the determination of the suit before its operatives pounced on him.

The Speaker also insisted that he had initially snubbed EFCC’s invitation due to the case filed against the agency.

Oluomo said he remains innocent of the charges filed against him.

The statement reads “I maintain my innocence in the recent Economic and Financial Crimes Commission charges against me and I will want the court to decide because the hyperbolic nature of the petitions written by the impeached former Deputy Speaker, Dare Kadiri was also reflected in the charges.

“By law, I am not the Accounting Officer of the House, for emphasis, the House under my leadership operates only one bank account since 2019, through which running cost and allowances are paid directly into the bank accounts of individual Honourable members and staff of the House including the petitioner.

“Also, charges 10 and 11 are for the Eighth legislature before I became the Speaker.

“I also like to say that the refusal to honour the initial invitation of EFCC was because of the method adopted by EFCC is against section 36 of the Constitution and we challenged it in court, this is in the public domain as it was widely reported but the EFCC refused to wait for the pronouncement in that case before taking further steps, despite having joined issues with us in court.

“I have always been disciplined and upright in my position, conducts and dealings with people, I shall continue to remain myself with truth and honour as my goal. I thank everyone that showed love and concern in the last few days. Thanks and God bless you all.”