The alleged refund of N500
million into the coffers of Oyo
State government by former
governor of the state and
governorship candidate of the
Accord Party, AP, Senator
Rasheed Ladoja, has assumed
a new twist as he filed a suit
for N10 billion damages
against Governor Abiola
Ajimobi.
His demand is in connection
with the claim by Ajimobi that
the state government received
N500 million from the
Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, as proceeds
of a plea bargaining between
Ladoja and the anti-corruption
body.
It would be recalled that the
former governor had denied the
allegation by Ajimobi and
attributed the claim to an
attempt to smear his integrity
ahead of next month’s election.
Ladoja yesterday instructed his
lawyer, Mr. Biodun Abdu-
Raheem, to write Ajimobi
seeking N10 billion damages, a
retraction of the publication
and apology within seven days
or the governor should be
prepared for a date in court.
A copy of the letter dated
January 14, and addressed to
the governor and made
available to journalists in
Ibadan yesterday, is headlined:
“Re: Oyo State publication in
the Nigerian Tribune of
January 14, on pages 10, 11
and 12, and the Nation
Newspaper on pages 7, 56 and
57, captioned ‘N500 million
EFCC refund by Ladoja: Face of
Ladoja, the serial liar –
demand for N10 billion
damages, retraction and
apology.”
The letter reads: “For the
umpteenth time, our client
denies in its entirety the
allegation by your government
that he made the refund as
alleged or at all to the EFCC.
Our client demands that you
make available any document
to show he made such
payments and for the purpose
alleged, that is, plea
bargaining.
“We reiterate that none of the
documents published so far
substantiates that our client is
directly involved in the
allegation. We wish to note
that going by the contents of
your letters exhibited in the
said publications of September
6, 2013, November 26, 2013,
and January 9, 2014.
“There is nothing to show that
as at January 10, 2014, when
the last letter was said to have
been received by the EFCC till
date, that your request for
‘revalidation’, ‘repatriation’ and
‘release’ as variously requested
by your government in your
said letters have been acceded
to or granted by the EFCC.
“We also note that all the
aforementioned letters are at
your instance and none was at
the instance of the EFCC in
order to know that any of your
requests was granted at all.
Could it have been that the
non-inclusion of the EFCC’s
letters was a deliberate act or
omission on the part of
government?
“Drawing from the above, it is
very clear from your last letter
dated January 9, 2014, that
the government was at best
still pursuing the revalidation,
repatriation and release of the
cheques and their money value
as at that date.”
The National Mirror
million into the coffers of Oyo
State government by former
governor of the state and
governorship candidate of the
Accord Party, AP, Senator
Rasheed Ladoja, has assumed
a new twist as he filed a suit
for N10 billion damages
against Governor Abiola
Ajimobi.
His demand is in connection
with the claim by Ajimobi that
the state government received
N500 million from the
Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, as proceeds
of a plea bargaining between
Ladoja and the anti-corruption
body.
It would be recalled that the
former governor had denied the
allegation by Ajimobi and
attributed the claim to an
attempt to smear his integrity
ahead of next month’s election.
Ladoja yesterday instructed his
lawyer, Mr. Biodun Abdu-
Raheem, to write Ajimobi
seeking N10 billion damages, a
retraction of the publication
and apology within seven days
or the governor should be
prepared for a date in court.
A copy of the letter dated
January 14, and addressed to
the governor and made
available to journalists in
Ibadan yesterday, is headlined:
“Re: Oyo State publication in
the Nigerian Tribune of
January 14, on pages 10, 11
and 12, and the Nation
Newspaper on pages 7, 56 and
57, captioned ‘N500 million
EFCC refund by Ladoja: Face of
Ladoja, the serial liar –
demand for N10 billion
damages, retraction and
apology.”
The letter reads: “For the
umpteenth time, our client
denies in its entirety the
allegation by your government
that he made the refund as
alleged or at all to the EFCC.
Our client demands that you
make available any document
to show he made such
payments and for the purpose
alleged, that is, plea
bargaining.
“We reiterate that none of the
documents published so far
substantiates that our client is
directly involved in the
allegation. We wish to note
that going by the contents of
your letters exhibited in the
said publications of September
6, 2013, November 26, 2013,
and January 9, 2014.
“There is nothing to show that
as at January 10, 2014, when
the last letter was said to have
been received by the EFCC till
date, that your request for
‘revalidation’, ‘repatriation’ and
‘release’ as variously requested
by your government in your
said letters have been acceded
to or granted by the EFCC.
“We also note that all the
aforementioned letters are at
your instance and none was at
the instance of the EFCC in
order to know that any of your
requests was granted at all.
Could it have been that the
non-inclusion of the EFCC’s
letters was a deliberate act or
omission on the part of
government?
“Drawing from the above, it is
very clear from your last letter
dated January 9, 2014, that
the government was at best
still pursuing the revalidation,
repatriation and release of the
cheques and their money value
as at that date.”
The National Mirror
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