THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday released a former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, after 19 days in detention.



It was learnt that Omisore was released on bail by the commission after meeting his bail conditions.

The former deputy governor, who was declared wanted by the EFCC in May, was arrested on July 3, 2016 after N1.310bn was traced to the accounts of five companies allegedly belonging to him.

The money was said to be part of the N4.7bn allegedly disbursed by a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and his two sons, Gbolahan and Babajide.

The N4.7bn was said to have emanated from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2014 and then transferred to the Diamond Bank account of Sylvan McNamara, a company in which Obanikoro’s sons are the signatories to its bank account.

Omisore allegedly received the funds in four tranches from Sylvan McNamara between July and August 2014, a few weeks before the Osun State governorship election which he lost.

A document detailing the transaction showed that the money was paid into accounts of three companies allegedly belonging to Omisore.

A detective at the anti-graft agency explained, “On July 9, 2014, N150m was paid into the bank account of Sawanara at First Bank. On August 1, 2014, N300m was paid into Sawanara Limited.

“On August 8, 2014, about N160m was paid into the bank account of Fimex Gilt Limited domiciled at UBA. On the day of the election, August 9, 2014, N350m was paid into the First Bank account of Metropolitan Consortium.”

Omisore had, however, denied receiving any money from the ONSA.

The former deputy governor had also sued the EFCC for N10bn and prayed a Federal High Court in Abuja to grant him an order of perpetual injunction restraining the “defendants (EFCC) either by themselves, their agents, officers, servants, privies or otherwise however called from making such or similar defamatory publication of and concerning the plaintiff (Omisore) to any person or persons.”

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the anti-graft agency will soon charge Omisore alongside Mr. Abiodun Agbele, an aide to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State.

Agbele is alleged to have received N1.219bn from Obanikoro on behalf of Fayose during the build-up to the June 21, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State.

A source at the EFCC said, “We have already started putting the charges together because we have virtually completed investigations and we are lining up witnesses against them. They will be charged for fraud very soon.”

Omisore surrenders, reaches deal with EFCC on alleged N1.3billion fraud

A former Senator and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, Iyiola Omisore, was on Friday night released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after he agreed to refund the over N1.3billion he allegedly received from the office of the National Security Adviser, people familiar with the matter have told PREMIUM TIMES.

The EFCC arrested Mr. Omisore in Abuja on July 3 for allegedly collecting the huge funds from a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
The former NSA is being prosecuted for allegedly mismanaging billions of dollars meant to procure arms and ammunition for the Nigerian military which has in the past five years been battling a deadly insurgency in the North-East of Nigeria.
The PDP chieftain had since his arrest battled hard to regain freedom from the custody of the EFCC.

The anti-graft commission moved him to the National Hospital, Abuja, after he complained that his health was failing. He was however kept under close watch by two well-armed police officers.
Then his lawyers approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to press for bail but the court, on July 15, dismissed the application for lack of competence.

This week, the former deputy governor capitulated, those close to him said. He approached the EFCC and agreed to refund the money he was alleged to have fraudulently received.

On Friday, the EFCC granted him administrative bail after he struck a deal with the commission to refund the N1.3billion in installments.
He paid the first installment of N300million before he was allowed to go home, this newspaper learned.

Those familiar with the negotiation said before his release on Friday, Mr. Omisore issued a letter authorising his bank to release N170million to the EFCC, being the entire amount in his frozen account.

He also gave the anti-graft commission a draft of N130 million, bringing the first installment of the repayment plan to N300 million.

Mr. Omisore, a former deputy governor of Osun State and PDP flag-bearer in the 2014 Osun governorship election, will return to the Commission on Monday for further negotiations regarding how he would stagger the refund of the remaining one billion, our sources said.

Mr. Omisore had denied benefiting from #Dasukigate and had sued the EFCC, seeking N10 billion damages, after he was declared wanted in May.

However, according to our sources, Mr. Omisore, while in detention, admitted to collecting the sum from Mr. Dasuki.

Mr. Omisore, our sources disclosed, had initially claimed that the over N1.3 billion he received from Mr. Dasuki was meant for a certain parcel of land he sold to the office of the NSA.

The politician was however unable to provide documents backing the transaction, those close to him said.

EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached to comment for this story early Saturday morning.

Mr. Omisore too could not be reached by this newspaper. But the Nigerian Tribune quoted him as saying after his release, “Thanks for your support and prayers. I also thank my supporters for their steadfastness. I’m back at home in Abuja.”

aieromon:
This week, the former deputy governor capitulated, those close to him said. He approached the EFCC and agreed to refund the money he was alleged to have fraudulently received.

On Friday, the EFCC granted him administrative bail after he struck a deal with the commission to refund the N1.3billion in installments.
He paid the first installment of N300million before he was allowed to go home, this newspaper learned.

Those familiar with the negotiation said before his release on Friday, Mr. Omisore issued a letter authorising his bank to release N170million to the EFCC, being the entire amount in his frozen account.

He also gave the anti-graft commission a draft of N130 million, bringing the first installment of the repayment plan to N300 million.

blackpanda:
Hmmm, na wa o. How does one sleep at night knowing you have stolen billions in your bank account??


And the silly wailers will still coome here to support them. Smh

GudluckIBB:
Now that he has been released, He will soon start plead bargaining And declare support for Buhari's anti-corruption drive While wailers will be like:

Omisore don dey chop for bourdillion that's why he dey Support Bubu's anti-corruption drive"

Nonsense!

blackpanda:
Hmmm, na wa o. How does one sleep at night knowing you have stolen billions in your bank account??


And the silly wailers will still coome here to support them. Smh

blackpanda:
Hmmm, na wa o. How does one sleep at night knowing you have stolen billions in your bank account??


And the silly wailers will still coome here to support them. Smh